Belinda's Song
by VikingGirl74
Summary: Belinda Jean Harrison is a woman down on her luck.  A former drug addict and single mother.  One night she meets a strange man that changes her life
1. Chapter 1

**I want to send a shout out to treewitch703 for the improvments! She is a God send! I hope all of you enjoy!**

I never, ever thought I would end up working at a vampire bar in Shreveport, Louisiana, but I have. Why did I even take this job? Well, first of all I get insurance, which in the barmaid profession is completely unheard of. Hey, I even get optical which is a bonus for little old near sighted me. Second, I have kids, a son and a daughter. The pay is really good and keeps my family well feed and clothed. Especially since my daughter Izzy has to go to a special needs school. She is autistic. Not Dustin Hoffman, Rain Man autistic, but just different enough that she needs to go to a special school. Andrew, my oldest is ten and smart as a whip. So you understand that I'm not really a fangbanger or some sort of obsessed individual. I'm just a single working mother trying to survive.

I'd do the college thing if I could, but Isabelle requires all my spare time. I never had the chance to better myself after she came into my life. Even though Andrew is only ten and he's been a big help. I do hate the fact that I have to work in such a dangerous place as Fangtasia, but as I've said before, I need insurance and there is not much out there in this economy for someone who never went beyond high school.

Getting a job at the 'bar with bite' is a story unto itself. You see, Belinda Jean Harrison was never what you would call a model citizen. I'd done my fair share of stupid when I was younger. That's how I ended up with Andrew. I secretly call him my happy mistake. Izzy came five years later. Yes, both of my children have different fathers, but it doesn't mean I'm some sort of slut. I met Andy's father when I was working at a bar in Monroe called Howl's Full Moon. Yes, it _is_ what you think. That was my first taste of the supernatural. Howl was an arrogant bastard of a werewolf. He treated each of us as if we were a piece of meat. The tips were good, despite all the nasty hairy biker types that frequented Howl's. I'm surprised I made it out of the place without having a really bad monthly whenever the full moon would come around, but back to my story.

I was into the drug scene then. I still look down at the track scars on my arms and wonder how I ever survived. Some of us 'normies' as we liked to call ourselves, delved into drugs just to survive all the brutal shit you see working in such a place. Every night I worked it wasn't anything to see two Weres fighting to the death on the dance floor. Sometimes I needed that extra added courage just to survive a night at work.

One night, a Were came in who was far different from the others. He wasn't like the typical clientele. He was all the tall, dark, and handsome you could imagine. Dark hair messy in the right ways and boy could he wear a flannel shirt like nobody's business. I may be nearsighted, but I can spot hot from a mile away. Tonight of all nights I decided not to join Mary Ellen for our nightly shoot up, tonight I decided to stay clean. That was also the night I decided to have a one night stand.

For a one nighter, this man was a perfect gentleman. All I knew of him was that he was pissed off at his girlfriend and that he needed a release. He complained about this shape shifter bitch for a while. Hell, I was just horny. Who gives a shit about chemistry when all you want is a piece of ass? And a fine piece of ass this one was.

I never gave him my name because at the time I really didn't care. I do now. Sobriety has a way of doing that to you. I regret the way I slowly destroyed myself, but I don't regret my kids. Say what you want about me, but leave my kids out of it. Anyway, back to my story. A quick roll in the hay with tall, dark and broody. Nine months later, Andrew Thomas Harrison came into the world. That's my shorthand version of it. No need to bring up old skeletons.

Anyway, after Andy came into my life, I made an effort to clean up. I left Howl's - much to Howl's dismay. Seems I was his best waitress. When I quit I did have to make some sort of crazy pact with the werewolves never to reveal their secret. Not a problem for someone who just wants to pack up and get away. They could have killed me, but I happened to be with a Were child and Weres are all about keeping their numbers up. I'm just shocked that they didn't try to kidnap Andy, but Howl's bunch weren't the brightest of bulbs. He did give me a contact in Shreveport. Someone by the name of Colonel Flood.

I packed up Andy and we moved to Shreveport. Times were hard the first few months. I was living out of a church food pantry and working for measly tips at some greasy spoon. I never did call that Flood guy. I wanted cut my ties with the werewolves. Besides, I'll worry about Andy when I get to that bridge. I had quite a few years left before I had to worry about his puberty.

Then I met one hell of a normal sweet guy by the name of Harold. Harold was good to me and Andy. He helped me out a great deal. Harold worked for a construction company called Herveaux and Son. He worked hard. Harry and I eventually moved into together. We shared a nice two bedroom apartment in a building owned by his boss. Harry helped me through some rough patches. He took me to rehab whenever I felt the need to shoot up again. He even helped me get my GED. Yep, I was on my way to becoming a real functioning member of society because of Harry. We never married, but we were happy. Then came Izzy. Our world changed dramatically. Izzy required a lot of attention. It got to the point where Harry couldn't take it anymore. So he up and left me high and dry. I guess I should have seen the signs. Harry became despondent. He always worked late, even in the off times. Harry couldn't take that his little girl was different. Maybe it is just as well he left before Andy started puberty.

I was down on my luck again. Only this time it wasn't just me suffering. I had to move out of the apartment and into a nasty roach motel. We lived out of the church pantry again and I worked two jobs. A friend of mine watched the kids while I worked. An elderly woman I had befriended while living at the apartment building. She didn't like my choice of profession much. Especially the strip bar called Fantasy where I worked... I waited tables and on occasion did some lap dances. I hated that I had to do this, but the sleaziods tipped me well. I dressed up like a naughty teacher or librarian. There is not much foreplay when you have to keep your glasses on your nose. Anyway, my job was to enact the men's deepest fantasy. A lot of them love my naughty teacher routine. I carried a yard stick and would smack them if that is what they requested. Some nights I wish I was working at Howl's Full Moon again.

I had a rough night there one night. A few of the patrons had requested my specialty. One was a rather strange gentleman. Not the type you would see frequenting a place like Fantasy. Tall, broad, and extremely pale. Long blond hair and amazing blue eyes. He looked like he came from another time. Extremely handsome. He wore leather pants and jacket, putting me in mind of all the biker Weres I had to deal with in the past.

"Okay, here are the rules. No touching me in any way, if you touch me, I will call in Cal. Automatic kick out. Twenty dollars for any special request. Fifty dollars if you wish to touch my breast. One hundred if you wish to keep me longer. Anything more is not allowed. That would be prostitution and is very illegal in this state," I said, putting on my dominatrix routine.

"Fair enough," said the man in a deep voice.

"Okay. Sit down," I said gruffly.

The music started out of the speakers. I took the yard stick and started hitting it against my hand.

"I hear that you have been a bad boy. You need to be punished," I said in a voice that just oozed with sex. Then I started gyrating my hips to the music. I leaned into the chair where my client sat. I never made an effort to know my John's names. It made the job easier that way. I put my hand on his shoulder, holding the yard stick in my other hand.

"What do you suppose I'm going to have to do about that?," I asked. The routine is always the same. This gives my client a chance to make a request.

I sat down on his lap, gyrating away. I pouted and leaned in to kiss his neck. I hate getting close like this, but this is where the big money comes from. He fought to keep his arms limp as most of the men do. Then he reached into his pocket as I kept his gaze locked with mine. Next thing I know, everything went blank and he was gone.

I went back to the dressing room and changed out of my costume. When I took off my skimpy top and I noticed two holes in my skin above my left breast. Tucked in my cleavage is five hundred-dollar bills. Time passed when I was with this client, but I don't remember a minute of it. I am grateful for the cash though. I hadn't crashed and burned like this since my drug days. I'm a bit shaken by my loss of time. I changed into a sweat suit and grabbed my cigarettes. I needed some alone time before I took anymore clients.

I sat out back by the loading dock. I lit the tip of my cigarette and took a huff. Next thing I know, my mascara was streaking down my cheeks. The realization just hit me. I could have been raped for all I know. My poor kids. I did this job just for them and now I hate myself. I cried as I sat there looking out into the night. I pulled out a picture of my two babies. Andy with his smiling green eyes and Izzy with her blank blue stare. My children are like night and day. Both from different fathers. Izzy is pale next to Andy's dark complexion. Izzy has sandy blond hair whereas Andy's is as dark as his father's, whoever he may be. I pull my glasses off my nose. No point in messing them up anymore than my vision all ready is. I put my picture back in my pocket and thought of my children faces.

There is a presence close by. I can't see it, but I sense it. With my blurred vision, I made out the tall shape of a man. The dull light of the building reflected off of blond hair . It looked like my last client from what I could make out.

"Sorry, closed for business, buddy," I say. I get this once in a while. The Johns like to see if they can make their fantasies last. Some hoping for a date and to save the strippers from their miserable lives. The man laughs.

"You are quite beautiful without those glasses," the man says.

"Yeah, but I kind of need them," I respond, but something inside my mind tells me not to put my glasses back on.

"Why are you sad?," mystery man ask.

"I hate my job," I simply answer without even knowing why. By now I should have gone back inside to get Cal, but I just stayed right where I was. "But I need it," I added without thinking.

"Why do you need a job in a place like this?"

"I have children that need me," I answered. I don't know why I'm even sharing myself with this stranger. The last time I shared with a stranger, I ended up with my son.

"You never saw me or spoke to me," the man said in a cryptic way. He puts a business card in my hand. Even though I couldn't see him, I felt him vanish.


	2. Chapter 2

I went back inside still shaken by that mysterious John. I put his business card in my pocket of my hoodie. I went to find the owner, Jim. I didn't feel like going on anymore tonight. I would definitely suffer from performance anxiety. I gave Jim my shorthand story leaving out the visit by the mysterious John. Jim seemed to buy my excuse even though he was clearly upset. So I went back to the dressing room to pack my stuff. I never left much at the club. It becomes a free for all with some of the girls. I look at the picture of my babies in my makeup case before I shut it. I feel that I have let them down. The business card falls out of my pocket. I pick it up and look at the glossy red print on a black background. In script it said Fangtasia. Underneath that in a gothic font was the name Eric Northman with a phone number. I flip the card over to a handwritten message on the back.

_I have watched you from afar. You have the kind of skills that I am looking for. I will make you an offer that you can't pass up_

_-E-_

_I'll give myself a night to see if this really happened. Then I'll call this Eric Northman and find out what his offer is. I get plenty of offers. A lot of those offers I don't want. Who in their right mind would? Although this sounded like a vampire establishment. Maybe they decided to come out to the world after all. Yeah, I heard a lot working in a werewolf bar. I didn't know what besides the human race was all out there, but I had an inkling._

_I went home to sleep on it. I left the kids with Mrs. Johnson for the night because tomorrow I go to my second job. A job I thoroughly enjoy. Daddy Joe's Crawldaddy Shack was the place. Daddy Joe was a good and honest man. A typical crazy Cajun though. The wild gray hair old man gave me all he could. He was as generous as he could be. Some months I know the old man scraped by just so his employees were happy. Daddy Joe's establishment was small but the food was very high quality._

_There I got to meet some of my good friends. There was Edna, the old sassy waitress. The regulars loved her. There was also Daryl. An African-American man that never said boo, but made one mean gumbo. I loved my coworker there. We were like family in a way._

_I loved the cheerful atmosphere of the shack. Edna gave crap to Sidney everyday. Sidney was our regular and he flirted with the fiery Edna. Edna sort of flirted back with a wink of an eye. Edna got on the man about his heart every time he order something fried. Edna, herself was a short, big haired, bleach blond woman. She had the demeanor of a banshee if you got on her bad side, but she also had a heart of gold. Sidney was just an old gray haired widower. I think he came here everyday for some sense of solace. Once in a while Daddy Joe and Sidney would go gator hunting. I always looked forward to my days of working at the shack._

_After I got off of work at the shack. I picked up the kids and we went back to the roach motel. I sat down and pulled my hair out doing my bills. Two jobs and it still wasn't cutting the cheese. I watched Izzy line up her dolls all according to size. No one made it a point to mess with Izzy's dolls when she did this, otherwise we would have a meltdown of epic proportions. Life sure would be easy if I just had one job that paid me enough for a good rental. I felt bad for my kids. Even Izzy being buried into herself knew that things weren't going too good for Mommy. Andy looked over from the television. That boy could feel my stress from a mile away. He got up from his cartoons and came over to the table to give me a hug. Izzy then got up from her dolls and took her big brother's cue. Moments like these makes me feel grateful for my kids._

_After I got the kids to sleep in the bed, I sat at the table flipping around the business card. It was well after dark. If it is vampires that I am truly dealing with, they should be up for the night. I pull out my pay as you go phone. I still had a few minutes left on it. I walk out of the room and sit on the curb. I didn't want to disturb my little ones. I dialed the number with shaky fingers. It rings a few times._

"_Northman," said the voice on the other end._

"_Hello, this is the teacher," I said in my phone sex line voice._

"_Yes, you are the one from Fantasy," he said in a voice that oozed with sex._

"_A little birdie told me that you have an offer for me. I'm all ears," I said, still playing the role. For all I know this guy just might be propositioning me. I'm desperate and this one seemed pretty clean. Maybe he wanted to hire me as a dancer in his club? If that what Fangtasia is?_

"_Yes I do," he said in a more businesslike manner. Good, now I know it's not about prostituting myself to feed my kids. "I am looking to start up a night club here in Shreveport. I have been scouting out the competition for competent help. I wasn't impressed by your little act so much as how you handled the costumers with your service skills."_

"_You mean my waiting tables?'_

"_Yes, Ms. Harrison. You were quite efficient and very good when it comes to pleasing the customer. You see, I am looking for the best servers I can find."_

"_Wait a stinking minute! How the hell do you know my name?"_

"_Ms. Harrison, I have my ways. In fact, your bodyguard told me," he answered in a smug manner. I found it odd that Cal would tell him such a thing. Usually Cal kept my identity secret. To the patrons of Fantasy I was known as Ms. Poppy Cherry._

"_Look buddy! I don't know who you think you are…"_

"_Please hear me out, Ms. Cherry. If you would prefer. I am prepared to make you a generous offer. I would like to meet you face to face again. Is now a bad time?"_

_I pondered that for a minute. This is the dick I went blank on. I still can't recollect that twenty minutes in my little room at Fantasy. I know it wasn't roofies. I learned long ago never to drink while with a client. One of the other girls at Fantasy named Destiny Moon took a sip of water while performing for a client and passed out. Jim called an ambulance and had her hauled into the closest E.R. Needless to say that the bastard was charged and never allowed back into the club. What happened to me last night was way different. Considering I have been drug free for ten years._

"_Are you going to pull your shit on me?"_

"_Whatever do you mean, Ms. Harrison?"_

"_I lost twenty minutes last night while I was with you. What the hell did you do to me?"_

_He chuckled. If this asshole is what I think he is. He pulled his vampire mojo crap on me._

"_Please, Ms. Harrison. All I want to do is give you my offer, nothing else. You can say yes or no. If you say no, you will never have to see me again. If you will please answer my question, is this a bad time?"_

"_I'm with my kids right now," was all I could say._

_I watch a slick cherry red Corvette pull into the motel parking lot. Must be someone looking for a one nighter, but there was only one person in the car that I could make out. The door opened no sooner than it was parked. Out came tall, blond, and dangerous. He had his cell phone still held to his ear. I can't believe the bastard tracked me. He looked over at me with a smile. I stood up. I was wearing flannel pajama bottoms and a spaghetti strap tank. My frizzy red hair back in a ponytail. Severely underdressed if this was going to be some sort of job interview. He took in the surroundings for a moment. The smile faded. I swore that he looked unhappy and then he walked towards me. _

"_I am here. So you can't use your children as an excuse, Ms. Harrison," his voice said over my cell. I watched as he hung up and put the Blackberry in his jeans pocket. So I hung up my phone with my jaws wide open._

_He stood in front of me with a smirk on his face. I pulled my glasses off of my nose and rubbed my eyes. Something in my head told me not to put them back on if I was talking to this clown. So I folded them into my hand. I looked up at the blurry form before me. Squinting my blue eyes, trying to keep a little focus. If I could afford Lasik, I would, but I seriously doubt it would do much good for me. He reached out to the hand that held my glasses. His touch was very ice cold. His hand felt like marble and strong. He gently pulled my glasses from my grip. He unfolded them and placed them back on my nose._

"_Can you see better now, Ms. Harrison?" He asked with a smirk on his handsome face. The dialect of his voice told me that he was from somewhere far away. Chances are, not a full blooded American. His blue eyes sparkled much like my Izzy's. His hair was a thick blond mane that hung past his shoulders. A strong cleft in his chin. Yep, this man wasn't run of the mill, that was for sure. He sort of reminded me of a fair version of Andy's dad, whoever that may be?_

_I just nodded like an idiot._

"_Good, I don't like it when I feel like I'm being toyed with, Ms. Harrison. Or do you prefer Belinda?"_

"_Belinda is fine," I muttered. This guy had me under his spell._

"_Good. You shall call me Mr. Northman, but if you accept my proposal, I expect to be addressed differently," he said, giving me that smirk that made his eyes sparkle._

"_I promise you, no tricks. I shall behave," he said in a playful way. I wanted to take my glasses off. He stopped my hand when I tried._

"_I want you to see me clearly, Belinda. I promise, no glamouring."_

_I wondered what the hell he was talking about? The door to my room opened. There stood Andy, wiping the sleep from his eyes. He ignore my surprise visitor._

"_Mom, Izzy is having nightmare again," he said with a yawn._

_I heard my little girl screaming. It is hard dealing with Izzy's outburst and this was one of them. I run through the room, leaving my visitor at the open door. I was surprised he didn't follow me, but when I turned around, he watched intently as I went to the bed where my little girl lay. Her blue eyes blank as she screamed. I took her in my arms. Human contact seems to be the one thing that soothes her. I sheesh her and remove her hair from her eyes. I rock her back and forth, ignoring the man standing just outside my motel room door._

"_It's okay, Izzy. I'm here. It's just a nightmare," I whisper to her._

"_Vampire," she says in that mechanical way an autistic child speaks._

"_Vampire," she says again. This time pointing at the stranger standing outside the door._

_This gets Andy's attention. He looks over at Mr. Northman. Mr. Northman just smiles. Andy stand close to the doorway, looking up at the imposing figure. Andy knew of werewolves, but vampires was something new to him. I told my little boy everything about my days and nights at Howl's._

"_Are you?" Andy asks the stranger. Eric just looked down at my son with blank fascination. _

"_A Were child," was all Mr. Northman said._

"_You didn't answer me," Andy said. He had a mean look on his face. If Andy had his capabilities to growl, he would. The stranger just laughed at him._

"_My dear boy, you are very observant. It will serve you well," Mr. Northman said as he crouched down to Andy's level. He just smiled at my son._

"_Is it true that you can't come in unless invited," Andy challenged._

"_Yes it is," Mr. Northman answered with a smirk. My son seemed to have given him amusement._

"_Good! Why are you here?" My very bold son asks._

"_To offer you mother a job in my establishment. If she accepts you will never have to live in such squallier." _

"_Do you want her to take her clothes off? I don't think it's right my Mom has to take her clothes off to feed us," Andy says. Seems my son is going to be the one to take my job interview. Mr. Northman smiles. A slight laugh escapes his lips. Then I saw a flash of admiration in his eyes._

"_Not if she wants to. Plus I shall pay her well and I'll give her insurance so she can maintain you and your sisters health. I'll even make sure she can afford your sister's school and a nicer place to live," the stranger at my door says softly to my son._

"_You won't bite her anymore, will you? I don't like to see my Mom hurt," Andy says. I was shocked he put two and two together. Sometimes I forget that my son is only ten. Mr. Northman laughs._

"_As a man of honor, you have my word. I promise not to bite her," he said in his amusement._

"_Good! Mom, I think you should take his offer. I don't feel like living in this stinkhole anymore," Andy says to me. I smile at my son. He is sure one ruthless bargainer._

"_Keep in mind, that if you so bite my Mom. I will big enough someday to take you on. I don't like seeing my family hurt," Andy then added. Mr. Northman smiled down at him in admiration._


	3. Chapter 3

**I want to thank treewitch703 for the awesome job she is doing!**

Mr. Northman still stood there looking down at my son with a smile on his face. When Izzy fell back to sleep. I covered her back up and went to Andy. Andy stared at Mr. Northman with suspicion in his eyes.

"Are you going to allow me in so that I can discuss this with your mother?" Mr. Northman asked. He couldn't pull his crap on Andy like he could me and I didn't raise my boy to be an idiot.

"I promise to behave myself, Mr. Harrison," Mr. Northman says to my son like he was his equal.

"It's okay, baby. You go back to bed," I whispered to my boy. I patted him on the shoulder. So proud of my little man. He looked up at me with concern and worry filling his green eyes. He didn't want to leave my side. He wanted to let his male instincts take over. "I'll be alright, sweetie," I whispered again and kissed his forehead. Andy reluctantly went over to the bed and slid in next to his sister, watching the vampire through the door the whole time.

"Don't you dare sink one fang into her, vampire. I'll go after you if you do," Andy said, voicing one last warning. A smile crossed Mr. Northman's full lips. Pride flickered in his blue gaze.

I walked outside and shut the door behind me. There was no way in hell I was going to let any vampire into my home! Even if it is only a cheap motel room. The vampire looked down at me with wry amusement. I didn't know this stranger from Adam, but I swear he looked jealous for a moment. What did he have to be jealous of? I really am as poor as a church mouse. As the human woman living in a filthy roach motel, I should be jealous of him.

"I promise you, Belinda. If you come to work for me, you will never have to live like this ever again," he said in a soft soothing voice.

"What if I choose to live like this?" I ask, testing Mr. Northman.

"In my time, you would be living like a queen, but we are not living in my time, now are we," he said. He gave me a sad look. "Your children deserve better than this, Ms. Harrison," he added.

The vampire is right, my kids do deserve better. Even I deserve better. Once upon a time my life didn't amount to a hill of beans, but not now. I have two of the best reasons to keep me going. I don't care that my kids aren't perfect, because Lord knows their mother isn't, but they really do deserve better.

"What do you expect me to do? What is my job at this…."

"It's a bar, Belinda. All I want you to do, is do the job you do best. Wait tables, that is all."

"No lap dances? No pawing hands?"

"No Belinda. I watch out for my people. I will not even let the patrons do that, unless that is what you want. All I ask is your loyalty. Work hard for me and I will treat you well," he said.

"I have one question. How do you know so much about me? Cal only knows my name, nothing else."

"You are a woman that watches out for her family. I can see that. I have my ways of finding things out, Belinda," he said. I knew right then just to drop it. He had no desire to tell me.

"Will you really foot the bill for my Izzy's school? It is expensive."

"Anything to get you to work for me, Belinda. I need the best and I can see that you are the best at what you do. I do promise, no funny business. You will be no one's donor or pet if that is what you choose. You have my word on that," Mr. Northman said.

"Sounds tempting, Mr. Northman," I said, taking a few minutes to think about it. I really have nothing to lose except my kids. My kids are all I have. Then again, am I going from one evil to another? I guess there is only one way to find out.

"Can I quit at any time? I've heard that your kind can be very possessive. I don't want somebody finding my remains in the bayou, if you know what I mean," I said. He laughed. Apparently I amused him as much as my son did.

"If you feel you must leave, I will not stop you, Belinda."

"No more of that mind mojo crap either."

"You mean glamour. You have my word. I do not intend to make a meal of you either, unless that is what you choose. I see you have plenty of responsibilities outside of employment," he said, looking past me to the door of my motel room.

"You sure drive a hard bargain, Mr. Northman," I said, scratching my curly red hair.

"No, your son drives a hard bargain, Belinda," the vampire laughed.

"Alright, where is this place and when do I start, Mr. Northman," I finally say.

"Behind the Toy 'R' Us in the strip mall. As soon as you possibly can, Belinda. Call me after you give your present employers the usual two weeks notice," he said.

"You want me to quit both of my jobs?"

"Yes Belinda, you will be employed exclusively by me when you are working for me. I ask that you have no side employment. There may be a chance I will have to call you in for special events. No worry, I _will_ pay you extra for your troubles. I shall also pay you if the bar closes for any reason. Trust me, it will happen," he said and my jaw dropped. Who the hell does he think he is? I have never had someone treat me so high handedly!

"Of course, I failed to mention that as soon as your employment starts, you are to move into one of my condos. Also, you will no longer call me Mr. Northman. I shall be called Master or Cheiftain ," he said in a smug manner. The gall of him! Many nasty words spun through my mind. Words that I would punish Andy for saying and a few that I'm just afraid to use myself. The white knight that came to rescue me turned out to be a toad. More like a pillaging Viking. At the time I never realized how close to the truth I was with that last line.

"Do you still wish to work for me, Belinda?" He asks me. A billion thoughts ran through my head again. Then I thought of the sleeping children. Then I just answered lamely, "Yes Master."


	4. Chapter 4

**Another shout out to treewitch703 for all the awesome improvments!**

I called Jim at Fantasy before hitting the hay. I gave him my two weeks notice and that asshole told me never to come crawling back. At least Howl was a little nicer than this slimeball when I quit his bar. One employer, taken care of. I'm dreading telling Daddy Joe my news. The old man has been so good to me and I didn't want to break his heart. I went to bed that night with a heavy heart and a little regret. Thoughts raced through my mind, wondering what it's going to be like working for a vampire. Other than the high handedness, Eric Northman actually seemed like a generous guy for a supernatural creature. I just hoped to God that I hadn't sold my soul to the devil.

I woke up to Andy shaking me awake from a dreamless night's sleep. His dark hair all a mess, wearing a Batman t-shirt and flannel shorts.

"Mom! Wake up, there's a strange man in a suit at our door. He looks like one of those guys that goes to 217 all the time. I hope he's not here to try and buy drugs again," Andy tells me. That was the unfortunate thing about living here, my Andy knows too much. Both of my kids have been exposed to too much.

"All right, baby. I'll see what he wants," I mumbled as I tumbled out of the cheap sheets. No high thread counts here.

I went over to the door and put my eye to the peep hole. On the other side of the door stood a gentleman wearing an expensive black suit, carrying a rich leather briefcase and sporting a pair of designer sunglasses. I left the chain in the lock and opened the door. Hopefully the son of a bitch wasn't carrying some kind of bolt cutter in that briefcase.

"Can I help you," I said cautiously.

"Are you Ms. Belinda Harrison? Eric Northman sent me here to have you sign some papers," fancy suit said.

"Who are you?"

"I am Robert Burnham, Mr. Northman's daytime assistant," He said smugly, lifting his chin. He handed me a business card and I studied it for a moment. Not as nice as Mr. Northman's card, in fact it was downright generic. I don't know who this clown is trying to kid? He seemed a tad overdressed to be picking up dry-cleaning, Then again, I had no room to talk.

I undo the security chain and open the door for the smug little prick at my doorstep. He turned his nose up further as he entered my room. I don't know what he expected? This isn't the Hilton. I direct him to the beat up couch and coffee table. I then tell Andy to get cleaned up and help Izzy do the same. Andy didn't talk back, he usually doesn't. My Andy is such a good boy. Fancy pants stared at Izzy's dolls all lined up in row. The only orderly thing in all the disorder of the sleazy motel room. I watch as Andy took Izzy's hand and guided her to the bathroom. He is so gentle with her. Izzy focuses on the stranger blankly. Andy pulls fresh clothes out of the drawer for both him and his sister. He shuts the bathroom door so that Mr. Fancy Pants and I can have privacy.

"Please call me Bobby, Ms. Harrison," fancy pants finally breaks the silence.

"Belinda," I correct him.

"Alright Belinda. First I need you to fill out your W-2 form. Then I need you to fill out these insurance forms. Have any questions, feel free to ask."

I take all the papers to look them over. My heart skipped a beat when I saw the forms for dental and optical. Never, ever, did I think that I would have such things. I also noticed no prices listed.

"How much is all this, Bobby?"

"It's at no cost to you. Mr. Northman takes care of all insurance expenses. Even for your dependents."

My eyes widened but I just kept my cool and filled out the forms. I handed them to Bobby who put them back in his briefcase.

"Now for another matter. I need you to pack up your personal belongings now, Ms. Harrison. I am instructed to move you into your new residence as soon as possible."

I could not believe my ears. I sat there frozen for a minute.

"Why now?" Was all I could say.

"Mr. Northman instructed me to move you and your children as soon as possible. He never told me anything else. If you will please comply. I have boxes in my car and your room account has been closed."

Of all the…. I couldn't believe what I was just hearing. Boy, Izzy is sure going to have a fit. I should probably warn Bobby, but what the hell? Let him deal with it.

I watched as Bobby got up and left the room. He came in with some boxes and tape. Andy and Izzy came out of the bathroom dressed and ready to start their day, unlike their mother who still had on her same outfit she had a job interview in last night. Andy gave me a confused look.

"What's going on, Mom?"

"We're moving," was all I could say.

"Right now?"

"Right now, Andy. Help Izzy get her dolls. I need to get dressed."

I grabbed a clean pair of jeans and a simple black tank. I skipped the shower and just brushed my teeth and washed my face. Then the screaming started. I shrugged at my reflection. Time for damage control.

I stepped out of the bathroom to find Izzy bawling her eyes out and Andy soothing her. Then I saw the match that had lit the fire in the form of Bobby Burnham. He held a box in his right hand and one of Izzy's dolls in the left. Bobby looked confused

"It's alright, Izzy," I heard Andy telling his sister.

Bobby just looked at me. I gave him a dirty look. I know it doesn't take much to set Izzy off, and moving this quickly will only make matters worst.

"Didn't he tell you that she's autistic? You can't just force her to move quickly. Isabelle doesn't take well to changes," I said. That is the funny thing about autism, it's not like other disabilities that can be seen. A child can look completely normal, but their mind doesn't function the same as a normal child. Izzy is pretty smart. Smarter than the average five year old, but she doesn't take well to change. She doesn't show emotions like an average little girl her age. School has slowly brought her back, but there is still a lot more progress to be made.

"Well, Mr. Northman did have me look into a school for the handicapped, but I didn't ask him why. It's never my place or anybody else's to question, the Master," was all he could say. Bobby didn't feel comfortable around my kids before. Now he looked as though he was ready to run for the hills.

"It's okay. Izzy isn't as bad as some. Just leave for a bit so I can talk her down. You've already upset her enough. I just need to talk to her," I said. Bobby didn't look too happy, but he did as I asked.

I crouched down to Izzy's level. Tears ran from her dark blue eyes. She looks so much like Harry.

"Hey Izzy, it's okay. You mind telling me what's wrong," I said. Putting myself in her face. One of many tricks I've learned in the past few year when dealing with an autistic child.

"That bad man took my doll. He said that we can't live here anymore," Izzy said in her emotionless way. That was another thing about an autistic child, they may have outbursts now and then, but overall their emotions seem flat. It wasn't my daughter's fault she happened to be that way. Although I would love to have a normal smiling little girl, I wouldn't trade Izzy for the world.

"No sweetie, we can't live here anymore. Mom got herself a new job and we are moving into a nicer place. What Mom needs you to do is be a good girl and put all your dolls in that box. Be nice to that man when I let him back in. Can you do that for Mom?"

"Yes," Izzy said, nodding her head.

"Can Andy help you put your dolls away?"

"Yes Mom," she said.

"Good. Now Mom's going to pack everything else and then we are going with that man to our new home. I want you to stay calm for me," I said. Izzy gave me that blank stare. I know my little girl is in there some where. I give her a hug and a smile even though I never expect one in return. Izzy usually just stands there, stiff as a board. My Andy shows enough love for the both of them.

I let Bobby back in. I tell him about Izzy's dolls. He made it a point not to set foot near them. Andy helped her arrange them in the box. Andy knew how Izzy liked her dolls handled, either that or Izzy was just used to her brother and me. Bobby loaded the boxes into his car. We only filled up two of the five boxes he brought. Yeah, I lack a lot of possessions but I'm alright with it as long as I got my kids. I loaded up our three beat up old suitcases. Bobby put those in his car as well and off we go into the great unknown. It sure is nice not to take a cab or public transportation. It would have been even nicer if I had a car of my own.

We drove out into an area of Shreveport that was wooded. I wondered what kind of condo would be in the part of town? Bobby pulled into a long gravel drive. No house was visible from the road which I found very unusual. Izzy behaved herself but I sensed her anxiety underneath it all. I prayed that we have no more meltdowns.

A simple little one story ranch house came into view. I was expecting a condo, but not this.

"Mr. Northman never realized you had two children with 'special needs.' So he felt that this piece of property would be more appropriate. He even threw a car into the deal," Bobby said in a business like manner. 'Special needs' obviously included Andy and his upcoming changes.

In the carport, there sat a brand new Volkswagen beetle. A powder blue convertible. The house itself, looked very cozy and inviting from the outside with a porch and swing, some potted flowers and a well manicured lawn. So far, this stranger has given me more than I ever thought I would have.

"Here are the keys to the car and the keys to the house, Ms. Harrison," Bobby said, handing me an envelope. "Mr. Northman will call you at sunset, so I recommend you stay put," he concluded. Just as well. I'm not scheduled to work for Daddy Joe's until tomorrow. Right now, we need to settle in. Good thing I got sleeping bags. Bobby unloaded the contents of his trunk onto the front porch and left us.

I opened the front door not knowing what to expect. The outside of the house looked as though someone was living there even though the property had been vacant. I expected the inside of the house not to look like that. I figured I would have to fill it, I was wrong. The aroma of new hit my nose before I peeked inside. As I opened the door wider, I saw new carpet, new couch, chairs, and coffee table. All tastefully decorated in a cozy cottage style motif. Andy and I looked at each other with our jaws agape. Neither of us had lived in anything as nice as this in five years. The cheery bright blues, yellows and red accents made the room pop. I looked down at a table by the door and found an envelope. I did my best to keep my hands from shaking as I open it.

_Belinda,_

_I wish you well. I hope my accommodations are to your liking. Of course I made some changes to our agreement. Instead of the condo, I thought the house would suit your needs much better. I have also included an advance on your salary. I trust that you will able to work this off to my satisfaction. Welcome to the Fangtasia Nest._

_-E-_

Behind the note was two thousand dollars in cash. I needed to sit. I felt like passing out. Andy took my hand and led me to a plush blue chair. He looked at me with concern.

"You alright, Mom? Is taking this job a mistake?"

"I don't know, honey. I hope not. I never expected all this just for waiting tables," I said. I patted Andy's shoulder. "Let's check out the rest of the place," I then said.

The house seemed bigger on the inside. The kitchen ended up being my dream kitchen come to life. Nothing enormous, but simple in it's beauty. Light wood cabinets with a recycled blue glass counter top. Natural lighting filled the room and reflected off the stainless steel appliances. It looked like something out of a magazine. I looked inside of each cabinet and found plates, glasses, pots, and pans. Everything that I'm going to need to cook that homemade dinner I haven't been able to make in five years. There was even food in the refrigerator along with a case of TrueBlood. A table for four sat in a little nook, overlooking the wildlife. A sliding door led out of the kitchen onto a deck with a set of wooden outside furniture and a red umbrella in the middle of a table. More flower pots accented the deck.

I moved on through the house. Simple black and white tile bathroom with a claw foot tub. A bedroom decorated in pink with a sign on the door that said: Isabelle. Her bedroom was airy and decorated like a princess fantasy. A little white desk. A canopy bed with netted pink fabric covering the post. Then I saw an empty set of shelves with another envelope on top of it. I open it to find another note in the same handwriting.

_This is a room fit for a little girl, so my decorator tells me. He wanted to put new toys here, but I insisted he not. This is for her collection. She can line them up to her liking and no one will ever touch them. I know she will not smile, but deep down I wish her much contentment._

_-E- _

I did my best to hold back the tears. Amazed a vampire understood my daughter's disorder. I was also curious how a creature of the supernatural world understood modern disabilities, especially a vampire. He must've seen Izzy's dolls from the doorway the other night. Izzy wanted to stay in her room. The corner of her mouth turned up slightly. A small brush stroke of happiness. Most little girls would jump up and down. Happy to have a princess bedroom, but not Izzy. I don't know if Izzy will ever do anything like that.

I left her to her new bedroom and found Andy in a room painted blue. A simple streamlined design. Not quite a boy's room but not quite a man's room either. The strange thing about this room was the picture of a Viking long ship. A desk with a laptop computer. In one corner, there was a television with gaming systems. Everything a boy Andy's age would be interested in. Andy came to me and gave me a hug. We stood there in silence for a moment. Then we went to the last bedroom, my bedroom.

It wasn't as streamlined as Andy's room. In fact it looked like a Scandinavian dream. An ornately carved medium stained oak wood framed bed. A comforter with a design of birds and flowers. Matching wood armoire and dresser. Bold blues, greens, and reds. Cozy and cute best described it. An open door revealed a spa style bathroom. Natural stone tiles and fluffy white bath towels. Bowl style sinks and bamboo accents. This house is far more than what I deserve.


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you all so much for your love and support. Again, treewitch703 is an awesome beta! JoxX for pimping me big time in her story Dying For Some Sun. twowrongsmakearight for posting this story in their forum. Love you all!**

I sat on the porch swing with Andy at my side. We watched as the sun set in the sky. The motion of the swing eased our thoughts, but deep down inside I wondered what kind of mess I had just stepped into. The light in Izzy's room glowed through the sheers. I knew she was silently arranging her dolls . I had my arm around Andy as we reflected upon our day.

The gravel crunched and popped as a red Corvette came into view. Andy moved out of the swing and heads back inside to the safety of the house. I just stayed right where I am.. There is no point in running. The car door opened revealing my new boss. He smiled at the sight of Andy standing behind the screen door. Andy steadily glared at the vampire. My son is still very suspicious of Mr. Northman, I can't say as I didn't feel the same way myself. I've had my share of the supernatural for the two years I worked in a werewolf biker bar. I knew that running could only make it worse.

"Good evening, Belinda," he said. He glanced at Andy through the door. By this time Izzy had joined him. The two stood side by side looking out at the vampire. Andy with a glare and Izzy staring blankly.

"Good evening, Master," I simply say. Andy growled. Not the growl of a werewolf, but that of an upset, protective human boy.

"Mom, why are you calling him that?" Andy asked. I ignored his question. "Don't you dare try anything funny on her vampire," Andy then demanded. Mr. Northman smiled. Amused by my son again.

"I will do no such thing, Mr. Harrison," He told Andy with an amused smirk.

"It's alright, sweetheart. I'll be alright," I said to my boy.

"Vampire," Izzy said. She repeated herself in a mechanical way. Strange how she reacted whenever he is around. Usually she just ignored strangers, but there was something about the vampire that pulled her out of herself for a moment. Andy locked the screen door because Izzy was trying to get out.

Mr. Northman took Andy's place on the porch swing. He gave me a blank look, much like Izzy's usual expression. I guess vampires and the autistic have a lot in common.

"I trust that these accommodations are to your satisfaction. I felt the house suited your needs much better," he said, looking past me to the screen door. Izzy still fighting Andy to get out.

"More than I deserve, Master," I muttered. The corners of Mr. Northman's lips turned up slightly.

"You may call me Eric when we are outside the bar. I want to know you, Belinda. I want to know your family. After all, you are my head server," he said warmly. He grabbed my hand and kissed it.

"What do you want from me? Nobody is this generous without wanting something in return. This is too much for a mere waitress. How am I supposed to repay you?" I said. He looked at me thoughtfully. A glint of humanity warmed his blue eyes. It was a humanity you rarely see in supernatural creatures. Even werewolves never looked this human and they are as close to human as a supe can get.

He held my hand in his. A shiver went down my spine from his cold grasp. He looked past me to the kids again. He gave them a smile. A warm almost fatherly smile.

"I want nothing from you, unless you give it to me freely, Belinda. Besides, we shouldn't be discussing this in front of your children," Eric said in a whisper. He knew what I meant by my questions. I have had it happen before with bosses, except for Daddy Joe. Some of them wouldn't even bother asking, they just went straight for it. A tear fell down my check. Very few men in my life had treated me with respect. Even my own father abandoned me when I was Izzy's age.

I held back my tears as best I could. I didn't want my kids to see my weakness. I pulled my glasses off and wiped my eyes. I still didn't trust Eric. I wanted to leave my glasses off but Eric pried them from my hand again and put them on my nose.

"No glamour, Belinda. You have my word," he said in a soft tone. It was strange seeing a vampire being cautious around kids. Most supes didn't care if kids were present. There is definitely something different about Mr. Northman. Something deep inside told me that I could trust him.

"Would you like to come inside?" I asked. Andy gave me a dirty look and reluctantly undid the lock. Izzy quit trying to get out the minute I invited the vampire in.

"I thought you would never ask," Eric said with a smirk.

Andy wanted to protest. I could read it all over his face, but he kept his mouth shut.

"I can still enter, Mr. Harrison. This is not fully your home. I own this house," he said to Andy with a smirk. Andy threw his hands up and growled.

"Andy, please," was all I could say. I gave him my mom face. Andy just shook his head and moved out of our way.

Izzy stood fascinated with the tall blond vampire. She stared up at him. Eric crouched down and gave her a smile. She mimicked his smile.

"You must be Isabelle?" he asks my daughter. Izzy looks at him blankly.

"Yes. What is your name?" she ask in that flat voice of hers.

"My name is Eric. May I see your dolls?" he asks her. Kindness and warmth filled his voice.

"Okay," she responded. She started towards her bedroom with Eric following her. I followed the vampire. Izzy opened the door to her room where she had neatly filled the empty shelves with her dolls. Each doll as always, few inches apart, and lined up in order of size . The orderly mind of an autistic child. Izzy never freely showed her dolls to strangers. You had to earn her trust first.

Eric crouched down in front of the selves. Each doll had been well taken care of. He turned to Izzy and gave her a gentle smile.

"May I hold one of your dolls, Isabelle?" he asks her. No matter how much Izzy trust you, she didn't like anyone holding her dolls, except maybe Andy or me on occasion. Izzy took her first doll from the shelves. It was a little blond baby doll. She then handed it to Eric. Eric held it gently in his hands.

"This is a fine doll, Isabelle," he tells her. Isabelle then gave him a smile. Not mimicking a smile, but a true, for real smile. Isabelle's smile. I did my best to hold back my tears.

Andy joined me in the doorway of Izzy's room. Astonishment crossed his face at the sight of his sister with a vampire she hardly knew. The gentleness of this monster, and his almost human expressions towards the usually expressionless little girl. Eric handed the doll back to Izzy who replaced the doll precisely on the shelf. Then she did something she never did on her own. She gave Eric a hug. The tears finally did escape my eyes.

I composed myself in a moment. I thought that maybe this vampire used glamour on my little girl. Andy thought the same thing and broke the silence.

"Are you hypnotizing my sister?" He asked Eric accusingly. Eric let go of Izzy and stood up to his impressive height. He smiled down at my boy.

"No Mr. Harrison. I told your mother no funny business and I intend to keep it that way. Isabelle did everything of her own free will. Besides, I make it a point not to glamour the young," he said to Andy.

"You mean…," I barely could make out what to say. Eric took my hands into his.

"I will never harm your children, Belinda. Isabelle came to me of her own free will. She showed me her dolls because she wanted to. Trust me, your daughter is in there somewhere. She is a generous creature full of love," Eric said. I cried. I have never seen my girl so lively. Eric brought something out in her. Something that the school hadn't even been able to reach.

Izzy hugs Eric's waist. "Angel," Izzy said. Eric reaches down and strokes her. "Thank you, Eric," she says to the vampire, looking up at him with her innocent blue eyes. There's a warmth to the vampire's features. He smiled down at my daughter. Then he picks her up and holds her. Izzy hugs Eric like she didn't want to let him go. Eric smiles at me as he gently held my little girl.

Andy came to me and gave me a hug. Tears filled his eyes. We both cried on each other's shoulders.

"Mom, I can't believe it," Andy whispered. "She has never acted this way before."

"I know, sweetheart," I said as I smoothed my son's thick dark hair. Andy and I have endured a lot in the past five years. We have tried our best to get though to Izzy. Izzy still spoke robotically, but she had more expression than we ever thought possible.

Izzy yawned. It is getting late for my girl. She leaned into Eric's chest.

"She needs her sleep," was all I could say. Eric smiled down at her as Izzy fought the sandman.

"You heard your mother, Isabelle. Would you like it if I put you to bed?" He asked her. Izzy nods. She acted like she didn't want to let go of the vampire. I turned down the covers on her princess bed. Eric gently laid her down.

"Tell me a story?" She asked the vampire. Eric gave her a gentle smile.

"Some other night, Isabelle. I need to talk to your mother," he told her. He kisses her forehead. Izzy reached up. Eric lowered his face close to her and Izzy kissed his cheek. Then I saw a trail of red come from his eye as Izzy fell into slumber. I wondered what my daughter saw in this vampire that she could trust him so completely.


	6. Chapter 6

Andy protested when I made him go to bed. He said that he wasn't tired, but I knew better. My little lupine still didn't trust the vampire. He wanted to make sure I was safe.

"I promise you Andrew, no harm will come to your mother," Eric said to the boy. Andy growled. It will only be a matter of time before my son starts showing his dual nature. This time his growl seemed almost animal like. It is as if the wolf is trying to escape the confines of my boy's body.

"Andy! Bed! Now!" I scolded him. Andy gave me his sad eyes. The expression he uses when he disobeys, but there is a strange reflective ring of yellow around the edges of his green irises. Yep, any day now my boy is going to go through his change and I doubt my voice will get through to him. Tears shone in those strange eyes. He turned around and went reluctantly to his room.

I put my head into my hands as I sat at the kitchen table. Eric sat across from me, staring blankly. I broke down. I hated yelling at Andy, he is too good of a kid to deserve this treatment. I'm not bragging, but Andy almost never gave me any trouble. He has been easy going since the first day he entered my life. I'm not saying that he never has his moments, but rarely does he ever rebel.

I felt a large cold hand take mine. Through the tears, I saw the vampire give me an almost sympathetic look. His thumbs rubbed circles on the backs of my hands.

"Belinda, I am here to help you. Help your family. You are not equipped to handle a young wolf," he said. He paused for a moment. "You need my help. Your son can't be a lone wolf. He needs a pack."

"I had a contact that Howl gave me years ago," was all I could say.

"The Were you worked for in Monroe? Why did you not use that contact?"

"By that time, I was sick of dealing with fucking wolves," I said. The corner of his mouth curled up into a smirk.

"I know what you mean. They can be dumb, dirty animals."

I sure in hell didn't disagree. I guess I already had something in common with the vampire.

"I promise, my establishment will be nothing like that Were bar. I can't promise that there will be no fights."

"It is a bar after all," I said, interrupting.

"Yes, it is a bar. The vampires have been laying the groundwork for our integration into the human race. That stuff in your refrigerator is one of the steps. It is synthetic blood that happened to be invented in Japan. That is one of the many sample cases that have been sent to vampires around the world. Some of the vampires that have been planted in Washington have ruled that no vampires will be allowed to feed on humans in such vampire establishments, which means…"

"I will never have to see vampires acting like vampires," I said. This comment caused another smirk.

"Yes Belinda. Unlike Weres, we can disguise our behavior. That doesn't mean that there won't be vampire groupies," he said. The word groupies sounded weird coming from his mouth. He seemed uncomfortable and unsure of human slang.

He got up from his chair and went to the refrigerator. I had been a bad hostess. I should have offered him something to drink at least, but do vampires drink things other than blood? He pulled out a bottle of TrueBlood and popped it into the microwave for fifteen seconds. He shook the bottle, leaving a red coating on the glass sides of the bottle. He opened it up and took a sip.

"Yuck! I still can't get used to the taste of this stuff. It's both vile and metallic," he said.

I wasn't about ready to pop open up a vein for him. He already had enough of Belinda in him. A smile tugs at my lips. Then he put water on to boil. He pulled a teacup out of one of the cabinets and a box of peppermint tea out of another. He placed a teabag in the cup and then poured the boiling water over it. He set the tea in front of me. I had a strange feeling that it was rare for this vampire to do such mundane tasks. He gave me a smile as he took his seat across from mine. He took another sip of the blood and made a disgusted face. He'd probably had the idea he'd feed off of me tonight, but changed his mind after being around my kids.

"We really need to do something about your Were son," he said.

"What should I do?"

"Well, you probably should have called the Were contact that your old employer in Monroe had given you shortly after you'd gotten to Shreveport. I'll contact the local packmaster and explain your situation to him. I'll be sure to omit your experience in Monroe."

"That's good. I don't want that old skeleton rattling out of my closet," I said and took a sip of the tea.

"I do have one thing to ask you, Belinda. Who is Andrew's father? I know he didn't get the Were trait from you," he said.

The million dollar question. I wished I knew the answer. In turn, a question I also knew that I would have to answer honestly for my boy. Andy never really pried. Of course he asked casually here and there growing up. I just answered, you were a gift God sent to me. But I knew Andy would want a real answer some day.

"I don't know. It happened when I worked at Howl's. Andy is the product of a one night stand. I never even knew his father's name. All I remember about him was that he bitched about his shifter girlfriend screwing around on him with another wolf whose name sounded like slang for a part of female anatomy," I said. This got a surprised reaction from the vampire. I wanted to cry. I hated bringing up old demons. Eric must have sensed my oncoming tears. He took my hand into his and squeezed it. This vampire didn't need to use his mind tricks anymore. He had showed me more respect than I deserved.

"I promise you, Belinda. I _will_ find your boy's father. I _will_ call the local packmaster for you. As long as you work for me, you will _never_ have to struggle again. Don't be afraid to let me in," he said. He stood up slightly and leaned over the table to kiss my forehead. This only made my tears flow more rapidly.

"Thank you," I said in a hoarse whisper.

"You are like my family now," he said. He just sat there looking at me. My hand still in his. Strangely, I felt safe. I felt safer with Eric than I did with most human men, even Harold.

A noise came from Izzy's room. She is screaming and crying again. I got up as quickly as I could, but not as quickly as the vampire. He disappeared from my sight. I made my way to Izzy's room. Andy's door was still shut. She must not have awakened him. Andy is quite used to his sister's outbursts. The door to Izzy's room stood wide open. In the glow of the pink nightlight I saw that Eric had made it to her room. He held her gently in his arms and was rocking her back and forth. Izzy's face buried in his chest with only her sad blue eyes peering up at me. I watched as her little hands gripped the sleeves of his dark green v-neck t-shirt. Eric hummed to her. Tears still rolled from her eyes. These nightmares needed to end, but Izzy was mute whenever I asked her about them. Eric pulled away from her a bit. He lifted her chin up to meet his gaze. He gave her a warm fatherly smile that I found odd coming from a supernatural creature.

"Are you alright now, my little Valkyrie?" He asked her gently.

Guess I know his age now? Or I have a general guess. Viking.

"Yes," she says in that emotionless voice of hers. Eric stroked her sandy hair.

"Do you want to tell me about your dream?" he asked.

I stayed at the door, watching my daughter with the vampire. Izzy looked up into his eyes. There was something in her blank eyes that I had never seen before. In fact, her blue eyes didn't seem so blank. There seemed to be a touch of emotion and a glimmer of Izzy's true intelligence.

"A bad man came and took Mom and Andy away from me. He tried to look for me, but I hid under my bed. I did everything Mom told me. I stayed out of sight. It wasn't until you came that I felt safe. You helped me find Mom and Andy. You are my angel," Izzy said. She then put her hands on Eric's cheeks. "You are my friend," she then said. A small smile escaped her lips. "Mom knows a lot of bad people. She stayed away from them. She kept us safe. They still look for her. They want to hurt us," she said.

"I won't let the bad man hurt you, Isabelle," Eric said. He took her hand and kissed it. Izzy collapsed into the vampire again. She clung to him. Eric went back to rocking her. He smelled her hair as he petted her in a fatherly way. The sight made me want to cry. Izzy has never had an adult male role model in her life, except maybe Daddy Joe, but he was more like an eccentric grandfather. Who would have thought that a vampire would be her real first father figure? A vampire that she had really only known that night?

Eric gave her another smile. It was as if this vampire enjoyed playing house.

"Isabelle, my little Valkyrie, are you ready to go back to sleep?" he quietly asks her. Isabelle looked up at him with her sad blue eyes. She didn't want to let him go.

"Will you make the bad man go away? Make him leave us alone?," Izzy asks. Something resembling heartbreak filled Eric's blue eyes. He kissed her forehead.

"I promise, Isabelle. I'll make the bad man go away. No one will ever harm you as long as I am around," he said to her. Izzy gave the vampire a tentative smile.

"Now back to sleep with you, little girl," Eric tells her in an almost playful way. Izzy goes back into her emotionless shell, but she does do as the vampire says. Eric kisses her forehead again, and once again Izzy managed to kiss his cheek.

"Sleep well, my little Valkyrie," he whispered.

"Good night, Eric," Izzy told the vampire.

Eric gently shuts Izzy's bedroom door. He looked down at me. I dabbed at my tears . Concern filled his blue gaze.

"Is she right, Belinda? Is there a bad man after you?" He asked me. I looked down at the hard wood floor. I didn't want to answer him. I knew my life had been in danger since I quit Howl's. Not only mine, but my children's as well.

"I never told my kids this. I never even breathed a word of it to them. I don't know how Izzy would know," was all I could say.

"Belinda, tell me. I can take care of this."

"T-Bone is a biker that tried to whore me out. T-Bone is Howl's only son. He is a sadistic son of a bitch that tried to get all of Howl's human girls to work for him. Howl hated his son and kicked him out whenever he came around. That rogue wolf went ape shit after he found out I had a one night stand with an out of town Were customer of Howl's. Howl wanted me to stay. Not only for my safety, but that of my unborn child. Howl knew there was a chance of my baby being a Were and he was always looking for new recruits for his pack," I explained.

"This Howl is the Monroe packmaster?" Eric asked and I nodded.

"He is not a very good man either. He let his goons do with us as they liked. I used to go to work strung out just so I could make it through the night. I was young and very stupid. A human living on the edge, playing in the shadows. If Andy hadn't come around, I would be in the gutter or dead. That one night stand saved my life."

"You looked as though you were one step away from the gutter when I found you? "

"Big difference. I have been living a pretty clean life for ten years now. If it wasn't for Izzy's father, I would have fallen," I said.

"He left you. I don't understand how you can hold these men in such esteem? One you didn't even know his name and the other left you when you needed him most? Yet, you stand here before me, defending these men?" Eric gave me a puzzled look and then went on. "I will never understand the modern man. In my day, they would have been shamed. The chieftain would have made them take care of their responsibilities."

"They gave me two of the best gifts a girl could ask for," I said with a smile. Eric smiles back at me.

We went out to the front porch. Both of us sat on the porch swing. Strange how safe and protected I felt. Izzy is right, Eric is an angel of sorts.

"I have to work tomorrow," I finally said.

"The restaurant?"

"Yes. I want to break the news to Daddy Joe personally. He has been too good to me to deserve just a phone call."

"Good. We have only a month to prepare everything for the great revelation. I need all the help I can get in making sure the bar is ready for its opening. Plus, I need you to be familiar with your human coworkers. I will warn you, Belinda, not all of them are like you."

I rolled my eyes. If vampire groupies are anything like the werewolf groupies, I'm in for it. Almost all of the wolf followers were some sort of dip shits that wanted strange bestial sex. Sick and perverted people without any brain cells or too fried to care. I could only imagine what a vampire junkie is like.

"I expect you to start in two weeks time then. Don't worry about your children. I have someone more than qualified to take care of them while you are at work," Eric said. He stood up from the swing. He then bent down to kiss my cheek. Before I knew it, I was waving goodbye at the red Corvette pulling out of the drive.


	7. Chapter 7

I walked back into the house and found Andy standing in the living room, his hair a dark mess. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes or at least pretending to. I knew better. He had stayed awake the whole time Eric was in the house. I was so proud of my boy. He worried so much about his good old Mom. He looked at me through normal green eyes, the wolf cub had faded. There is not much of me in my boy's looks except maybe his smile. Everything about him matched what little I could remember of his father. He definitely didn't get his naturally tan skin from me, I'm a card carrying ginger girl. Andy's also tall for his age, whereas I'm pretty average in the height department. He may not have looked anything like Izzy or me, but he was loved all the more.

He fake yawns. He had to know by now that he couldn't pull the wool over my eyes. I laughed at the old saying, 'a wolf in sheep clothing.' He looked at me with concern in his green eyes.

"Mom, did I hear him tell you that he is going to find my dad?"

"He did, honey. Is that why you came in here acting like you have been sleeping?" I asked with a smile on my face. I shouldn't forget that my boy has very acute hearing, night vision, and the strength of a bodybuilder. All traits of a werewolf, except he hasn't gone through his change yet. Something that I worry about.

"I hope he does. I want to at least meet him. I want to see how much I look like him. I want to ask him what it's like to turn into a wolf. I want to know if it's painful. Maybe he can show me how to hunt," Andy says as hope filled his eyes.

"I can tell you that you do look like him, Andy. Don't be surprised that if Eric does happen to find him, he might not want to see you," I said. I hate dashing my son's hopes. Andy is such a good kid, he deserved much more than what I had been able to give him up to this point. Sometimes I forget that my son is only ten. He has had to grow up so fast. He not only puts up with a mother who works two lousy jobs, but also a sister that isn't like most little girls.

"I know, Mom. I do hope he does want to see me. I can always hope," Andy said giving me a small, somber smile. Then he added a frown.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," I whisper.

"It's not that, Mom," he said. He gave me a look that is so heartbreaking. "I worry, Mom," he says and pauses for a moment. "I felt like I was going to wolf out tonight." Tears fell from his eyes. "I don't want to do that with you and Izzy around. I'm afraid I'll do something bad," he says all choked up.

I gave him a hug. I squeezed him tight. Andy always smelled musty like a dog, even when he was a baby. All werewolves smelled like that. As much as I love Andy, I hate that he will never have a normal life. Of course he can still function as a member of regular society, except for those three days out of the month. That was my mistake, not his.

"Baby, Eric is going to have us meet the local wolf pack. Even if he doesn't find your dad, you will get to meet other werewolves. They can help you. They can teach you to control it," I said, fussing with his hair.

"Other werewolves?" He asks.

"Yes sweetie. You will have to become part of their pack. That's usually the way werewolves operate."

"Just like in the wild? That is so cool," he said. His face lit up. "I'm going to be part of a wolf pack!"

"Yes, but first we have to talk to their packmaster. After that, we will have to see if they accept you." I said, thinking back on my two years of working at Howl's.

"You mean they have to like me?"

"I don't think liking you is the problem, sweetie. The other wolves have to vote before the pack accepts you, that's all. I think you're a shoo in," I said, giving my boy my warmest smile. Andy kissed my cheek and we wished each other a good night.

As I crawled into my brand new, oh so comfortable bed, millions of thoughts floated around in my head. I worried about my kids. Andy becoming part of a pack. I hoped there weren't any initiation rituals. I doubted it, since he didn't have the ability to change yet. Then I replayed that haunting scene in Izzy's room. The look on her face as she spoke of the bad man to Eric. I still can't figure out how she could have known. My kids knew nothing of my past. I never even breathed a word of it. I never told them about T-Bone. They knew of Howl, but not his crazy son. I looked down at the scar on my arm. The scar from when I barely escaped T-Bone's branding. Weres like to do that whenever they felt that a human was theirs. Usually it's just a simple bite mark. You can't get infected by just one bite and a lot of the Monroe Weres liked to mark their property. Hey, at least they didn't lift their legs and piss on you. I was the only human girl at Howl's without a brand. I did my best to keep it that way.

One night, I was incredibly strung out. Between the booze and drugs, any man could just open up my thighs and have at it, I wouldn't have known the difference. That was the night T-Bone got his nasty paws on me. He managed to get me alone in the store room. I was really out of it. That was when the black wolf, that was T-Bone, tried to bite me. If it wasn't for the gray wolf fighting him off, I would have ended up as wolf property with no escape. Howl beat the shit out of his son for that. Howl knew I had no interest in his son and if I had gotten that mark it might have meant that I ended working in the oldest profession for the rest of my life. I thanked my boss, and T-Bone ended up getting permanently kicked out of Full Moon for that, but it didn't stop him. He constantly stalked me. I couldn't even go to the grocery store without a burly biker escort. As much of a son of bitch Howl could be, he did make sure his girls were safe whenever a rogue wolf was around. Usually I had to show my appreciation to my bodyguards even if I didn't care for them. I hate werewolves, except for the one in the bedroom across from mine. I could never ever hate him.

I woke up bright and early despite the late night I'd had. I made my way to the kitchen. It's Saturday and the kids didn't have school, but I had work. That meant packing the kids up for Ms. Johnson's. I dreaded going to work today, not because I hate work. I love working at Daddy Joe's. He gave me a job when no else would. I dreaded telling Daddy Joe that I quit. I loved that crazy old bastard and he knew it. I loved him like a crazy old grandfather.

I went to wake up the kids. I decided to rouse Izzy first. She stirred and moaned as I woke her. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes as I got her clothes for the day. I looked around the room for her shoes. The window was wide open. I didn't remember opening it. When I shut it, there on top of Izzy's doll shelves I saw a lone wooden box. It stood out against the cheery pink of the room. The lid was elaborately carved with what looked like a Viking ship. An envelope propped up against it. The envelope was simply hand lettered: Isabelle. Whatever it was, it was meant for my daughter; Izzy climbed out of her princess bed.

"Izzy baby. Somebody left you something," I said. I held the box and the envelope out to of her. Izzy's sandy hair was ruffled into a messy halo. She was still wiping sleep from her blue eyes. She yawned and stretched. She had on her pink Hello Kitty gown. She took the envelope first. Izzy could read;she had a second grade reading level at only five years of age.

"It's from my friend," she says with unusual cheer to her voice.

"Let me see the card, sweetie," I said. She handed it to me; the card read:

_Isabelle,_

_I found a treasure I hold dear. I need a little girl to protect it for me. It is very old. I know you will take great care of it._

_Your friend always,_

_Eric_

I know Izzy couldn't make out all the words, but she understood two of the most important words 'friend' and 'Eric.' Izzy opened the lid on the heavy wooden box. Inside the box wasn't just something very old, but ancient. A doll made from a wooden spoon. Izzy's face lit up in a smile. Again I got to see Izzy's smile. It brought a tear to my eye. Izzy gently handled the very old spoon doll. It seemed very well preserved and probably should be in a museum, not in a little autistic girl's bedroom.

"Can I look at?" I asked her. Izzy gave me a look. Not her usual blank look, but a protective gaze. Almost angry.

"No Momma! It's Astrid's doll. I have to take care of it for her. Only Eric is allowed to hold it," she says. I just stood there in shock for a moment. Izzy never acted this way before. Being around the vampire has definitely changed her and for the better. I watched her as she gently placed the little spoon doll on the shelves with her own dolls. She then put the wooden box on her dresser. I shook myself out of my shock as Izzy went back to being Izzy.

I then went to make sure Andy's awake. I just knocked on his door.

"Come in Mom," he says. My boy already dressed himself, made his bed and cleaned up. I don't know how he does it, but I'm grateful. "Did Izzy get a doll for her collection?" He asks.

"Yes she did. Whatever you do, don't touch that doll! She insisted that only Eric is allowed to touch it," I said. Andy smiled. A smile I haven't seen in a while. Not since we lived with Harry.

"I won't," he said with a laugh. Andy understood Izzy better than even I did at times. He treated her so gently. Most ten year old boys wouldn't even bother taking care of their sister, but Andy did. Sometimes I think he and Izzy have an unspoken language between them. "She sure likes that vampire, doesn't she?"

"Yep, I guess I'm stuck working for him till I retire," I told my son. He laughed. Andy's such a bright kid.

"Looks that way, Mom. Imagine the Izzy tantrum we would have if you didn't."

"Let's not even think about that. Ready for some breakfast?" I asked him.

"Dumb question, Mom," he said with a laugh.

"I don't have anything ready yet."

"That's okay. I'll get it started. You go take care of Izzy and yourself. I'll make some tasty pop tarts and orange juice."

"No coffee," I said dramatically. Andy laughed. He knows that only I make my own coffee. He shook his head and went to the kitchen.

Just as I was getting ready to leave, my kids in tow, the door bell chimed. It's probably that Bobby Burnham guy again. I hoped to hell not. I looked out the peep hole on the front door. There stood a strange little woman. Barely five feet tall with a poof of fine white hair and large round bright blue eyes. She wore a striped pink t-shirt with a short sleeved pink Hello Kitty tank over top of it . I undid the locks, but left the chain. This one probably didn't have a bolt cutter, but could probably have shot sparks from her fingertips. She gave me a pleasant smile, showing small pointed teeth.

"Mr. Northman sent for me. My name is Augustine Spark. I'm here to take care of your kids, Ms. Harrison," she said in a soft voice. She sounded like a mixture of Marilyn Monroe and a cartoon character if that's even possible. I thought to hell with it and undid the chain. "If you don't believe me, Mr. Northman told me to give this to you," she then said and handed me an envelope. I opened it while leveling a suspicious eye at Ms. Spark. What kind of woman wears striped tights and a puffy pink skirt with four inch platforms? A woman that stands shorter than my ten year old, that's who. Inside was another note. This one read:

_Belinda,_

_I took the liberty of finding you a new caregiver. Ms. Spark comes highly recommended. She is an elf/fairy hybrid. She has been an au pair to some of the royal families of Europe. She might be able to help your daughter with her problem. _

_-E-_

More high handed vampire behavior! I don't know if I'll ever get used to this. I was running late now and I had no other options but to leave my kids with this strange creature. Izzy smiled at her. Andy on the other hand seemed uncomfortable.

"Hi there! You must be Isabelle," Augustine says.

"Yes," Izzy responds.

"My name is Augustine, but you can call me Auggie," she says giving my daughter that strange toothy smile. Her hair moved aside to reveal strange pointed Spock ears. All she needed was wings and a wand. Izzy seemed to have warmed up to her. She tickles Izzy's sides and she laughs. Andy shrugs at me. He leans over to my ear and whispers, "Guess we can trust her if Izzy does. If not, I'll protect Izzy. You're running late, Mom." I nodded. I hated leaving my kids with a strange person, but I guessed I had no other choice.


	8. Chapter 8

**Thanks again treewitch703! Love ya!**

I drove to Daddy Joe's in my brand new car. I never thought I would ever, ever have a brand new car. Seems as though everything had already been registered under my name. I found the title in a file bin that had been tucked in one of my cupboards. The title to the car, the deed to the house, all mysteriously under my name. I wondered how the vampire managed that? Then again, maybe I didn't need to know.

I pulled into the parking lot of Daddy Joe's. Wanda, one of Daddy Joe's part time girls would be working with me today. She was an African American woman in her forties and Daryl's cousin. She is tall, thin, and sassy. She had on her blue waitress dress, the standard uniform for servers at Daddy Joe's. She checked out my new set of wheels.

"Whoa Girl! Did you win the lottery or something?" She said and whistled through those bright red lips. I laughed.

"Don't I wish. No, I got a new job," I said.

"Pole dancing somewhere other than that shithole Fantasy?"

"Nope. You ain't going to believe this, but _this_ what I get for waiting tables."

"Generous boss! You didn't have to crawl under his desk for that?" She said. Wanda knew that I was strictly dickly. Wanda was the same way. "I know you wouldn't eat a boxed lunch just for that!"

I laughed and shook my head, before heading back to give Daddy Joe the bad news.

I dreaded telling Daddy Joe that I'd be leaving, but I had to do it. I inhaled and exhaled before cracking the door to his office. I needed to do my best to hold back the waterworks. The small office was cluttered with trophies of past hunts. Several gator heads, the head of a wild boar, and an eight point buck graced Daddy Joe's walls. A stuffed nutria sat on the shelf above his roll top desk. Why the old man had a big stuffed rat above his desk is beyond me. That's the charm of the eccentric old guy. He had no computer, Daddy Joe didn't trust technology. He sat on his wooden desk chair. His long gray hair scattered every which way. Daddy Joe was far from bald, most old men would envy his luck. He gave me a smile as I entered his office. He had a tooth missing here and there. Slightly built and very slender. Daddy Joe was stronger than he looked.

"How are ya today, cher?" he asked me.

"I'm fine, Daddy Joe," I said. I leaned down and kissed his cheek.

"So what's up with you, p'tit?" He asks in his thick Cajun accent.

"Daddy Joe, I found another job. Well, more like it found me," I said corralling my emotions the best I can.

"That's great, honey chile'! I hope it's not werewolves again?" Daddy Joe grumped.

"Nope, a vampire believe it or not," I said.

"That means you won't be working for me anymore? Vampers don't like to share real well," Daddy Joe said. Tears fell from my eyes. That's another thing about the old coot, he was not just a gator hunter, but a retired supernatural hunter. He always knew that Andy was a werewolf, but he told me he only hunted rogues and any that hurt the innocent. "Baby, don't cry. Not all vampers are bad. So the rumors are true then?"

"Yes Daddy Joe, they are. The vampires are going to be coming out of the coffin soon."

"This could be good or bad. Bad for the vamper hunters, that's for sure. Guess they want to play nice with us," Daddy Joe said. He ran his hands through his thick gray hair. "I guess I can give Wanda your full time position then. She's needed the money since her husband lost his job. Just be careful, Belinda. If that vampire makes one wrong move, you come here and let me know. I'll stake the bastard even if I have to die doing it."

"Oh Daddy Joe, I have a feeling this vampire isn't going to do anything bad. You should see him with Izzy," I said.

"He has met the kids? He knows about Andy then," Daddy Joe said with wide eyes.

"Yes, he promised he would find Andy's dad. He is even helping me deal with the pack."

"About time, cher . I've been on your ass about that for years now. That boy needs a pack. This is the one thing his dear sweet Mom can't help him with," Daddy Joe scolded me. "It takes a vamper to talk some sense into you, p'tit fille."

I laugh despite my tears. Daddy Joe really cared about me and the kids. He always wanted to take Andy hunting with him. In his human form though.

"I can work my two weeks," I said to him.

"Don't worry about it, sugar. Edna might not mind a few extra hours herself. You just bring them young 'uns around. That's all I ask," he said

"At least let me finish my day out, okay," I said to the generous old man.

"Okay, hon. I'm sure gonna miss you around here," he said. He stood up out of his chair and kissed my cheek.

"I'm going to miss you too, Daddy Joe," I said. I gave him a hug. I swear I saw a tear. Something that men of the bayou never do, or at least don't want anyone see them doing.

I finished out my day. I promised Daddy Joe I would be around for a visit with the kids.

"Don't be a stranger," he said. I cried on my way home in the car. I even pulled over once. I hated leaving The Crawdaddy Shack. Daryl even gave me a hug and Daryl isn't much for emotions. Then my thoughts drifted to my kids. I'd been a bad mother. I neglected to call Andy to see how things were with that strange new babysitter. I hope I have four walls and two kids to go home to.

I pulled into the drive. Funny, I didn't notice a car in the drive when I left and there was still no car other than mine. I wondered how Ms. Spark made it here? Maybe I didn't need to know about that either. The beginnings of dusk filled the sky. I felt strangely energized despite being on my feet all day. As I walked closer to the house, I hear a sound that I'd never heard before. The laughter of my daughter. I smile at the thought because I could just be hearing things.

I opened the door to see Ms. Spark sitting Indian style on the rug in the living room with Izzy laying on her belly. They were playing Hungry Hippos. Izzy never played games. Not with either Andy or me, no matter how we'd encourage her. Somehow Ms. Spark got her to play games. In fact, I was convinced for a moment that this wasn't my little girl. There seemed to be a spark to her gaze as she frantically hit the lever. Ms. Spark laughs. As soon as the marbles were devoured, Ms. Spark gives my daughter a friendly smile, or as friendly a smile that someone with pointed teeth can give.

"Your Mom is home, sweetie," she told Izzy. Izzy got up off the floor and came to me with wide arms. I bent down to her level and I gave her the tightest hug I have ever given her. "She is really a loving little creature. She just doesn't know how to show it, that's all," Ms. Spark then says. I looked up at the mysterious woman. She dressed like she could host a kiddie show. I never even noticed the pink gloves this morning. They had cut off fingers and matched the rest of her getup.

"Thank you, Ms. Spark. How much do I owe you?" I ask her as I stood up.

"Nothing Ms. Harrison. It's been taken care of," she said. Of course it had. "Andy is in his room. He wanted some alone time. That boy is a tough nut to break," she added.

"Yeah, Andy has had a tough go of it," I said. It's strange how much I felt like opening up to her.

"Reminds me of the vampire that hired me. Known him since he was a baby. Been like that his whole undead life," Ms. Spark said. Suddenly she wasn't talking about Andy. She was talking about Eric. "I've said too much. I should be running along," she then said. Izzy ran up to her and gave her a hug. "I'll come the next time you need me. Oh yeah, that little creep Bobby Burnham called, he said to expect Eric tonight and that he'll bring your dinner. I need to get out of here before he comes," Ms. Spark said in a nervous tone. She grabbed a fuzzy pink Hello Kitty backpack that sat next to the front door.

"Be good for your mother, Izzy," Ms. Spark said and she kissed my little girl's forehead.

"I will be, Auggie," she answered in a quiet voice.

"Bye, Ms. Harrison," the strange little woman said.

"Bye, Ms. Spark," I said. She smiled before she turned away and literally disappeared before my eyes. I don't know if I'll ever get used to this.

I shut the door and leaned against it. I heard Andy's bedroom door.

"Is she finally gone?" Andy asks.

"Yeah, I think so. What's up with not coming out of your room?" I ask him.

Andy came into the living. Still wearing the same Batman t-shirt and jeans he had on this morning. His hair its usual dark messiness.

"She's annoying, Mom. She kept asking me questions about what it's like being a wolf boy as she called it. She insisted that I join in on her and Izzy's singalongs. She's like Mary Poppins on steroids," he said. I laughed. I messed Andy's hair. He hated it when I did this, but he just smiled at me.

"Come on, sweetie. Seems we have another visitor coming. We need to help Izzy put that game away," I said.

"Mom, I don't remember Izzy having Hungry Hippos. I remember packing Operation and Chutes and Ladders. When did we get Hungry Hippos?"

"I don't know, sweetie. You're right," I said. I decided to see if Izzy knew anything about this. "Izzy honey, where did Auggie find this game?" I ask her. Izzy takes me to a little built-in in the cottage style living room. She opens the door to reveal about every kids board game imaginable. At least the ones I remember growing up with. Izzy took the Hungry Hippos box from me and slid it on top of the Twister box.

"That explains that mystery. I wonder what else this house hides?" I said aloud.

"I would have explored today if it wasn't for Mary Poppins," Andy protested. I laughed.

The doorbell rang. Must be Eric. I checked the peephole anyway. I lived in that roach motel so long, and old habits are hard to break. I saw the flowing blond hair and a pizza box. I opened the door to the smiling vampire. I took the box from him, thanking him for saving me from the kitchen. Izzy stared up at him and Andy vibrated with a small growl. Andy still didn't trust Eric. Wait till he found out about the rivalries between the furred and the fanged. Eric picks up Izzy, she laughs. She then kissed Eric's cheek.

"Thank you for the doll, Eric," she whispered to him.

"Take great care of it for me, Isabelle. That doll is very important to me," he said back to her.

Eric follows me into the kitchen. I set the pizza box down on the kitchen table. I nearly grabbed four plates and then remember that Eric wouldn't eat. I then went to the refrigerator and got a TrueBlood for the vampire. I remembered seeing him put it in the microwave for fifteen seconds and so that is what I did. Eric made himself at home by taking a seat at the kitchen table. Izzy hoisted herself on to the chair next to his while Andy would sit across from him. Andy set out the plates and forks. I had the drinks. My kids usually like juice instead of soda pop and so I pulled out the apple juice. I grabbed myself a Coke and the TrueBlood from the microwave. I was about to sit down when at vampire speed, Eric pulled out the chair from the table for me. I smiled up at him and nodded. "Thank you, Eric," I said. We settled in with cheese pizza and a vampire.


	9. Chapter 9

I sit down next to my son. That strange yellow glow returned to his eyes. His teeth even appeared a little fanglike. Ever since Eric has come around, Andy has been getting closer to his wolf side. "Andy! Calm down. This is the dinner table," I reminded my son. He whimpered a doglike sound. It's only a matter of time before he loses complete control and goes through his complete change.

"I'm sorry, Mom," he mumbles. I put my arm around him. He is still my boy. I'm afraid of what he will become, but he is still my boy. I pet his hair. It calms him down a bit and the glow fades from his eyes. Eric watches us intently.

"You have a way with his wolf," Eric tells me. "The motherly bond seems to soothe his beast."

"Probably not for long. Andy is getting stronger by the day. He is afraid he'll hurt us if he can't keep control of it," I say. Andy gives me a look.

"Mom," he says.

"His instincts are telling him to protect what matters most. What he holds dear. That would be you and Isabelle," Eric said. He gives Andy a smirk. "You have nothing to fear from me, Andrew. I'm not your enemy. I want to help you," he then says, looking directly at Andy. Despite the glow being gone from his eyes, Andy's teeth still pointed out. It was strange seeing these small partial changes in my son's appearance. Izzy's laugh brought a distraction between Eric and Andy's tension.

"Your teeth kind of look like Eric's," Izzy says to Andy. Andy brings his hand up to his mouth and touches the sharp incisors. Fear fills his green eyes.

"Mom," was all Andy could say. I put my arm around him again. I pull him close to me.

"It's okay, baby. It's going to be okay," I whisper to him while Eric just watches. Andy looks up at me as moistness fills the corner of his eyes. Izzy looks down in shame. She felt she said something wrong.

"Mom, I must look awful," he whispers all chocked up.

"You will never look awful to me, Andy. I always told you this would happen. I just never seen a wolf grow up before. I wasn't a hundred percent sure how this would happen," I tell my son, trying my best to sooth him. The incisors slowly shrunk back into his normal teeth.

"I'm afraid," he cried.

Izzy stared down at the piece of cheese pizza on her plate. A small pout formed on her lips. Izzy felt that she did something wrong pointing out her brother's slight tooth deformity. She can stay like that forever if you let her. It's a part of her disorder.

"I'm sorry, Andy," she finally says in a quiet voice. "I didn't mean to make you cry."

She got up from her chair and went around the small table. She jumped up onto my lap and hugged both me and Andy. "Do you forgive me? I don't want you to leave us like my daddy did," she says.

Andy and I both looked at her in shock. Andy and I agreed a long time ago never to tell Izzy about her dad until she could understand. Harry left when Izzy showed the first signs of autism. When he realized his baby wasn't smiling or even making noises. Harry couldn't take the fact that his daughter wasn't normal. One day he just decided to disappear with only a Dear Jane letter left behind. I never tried to even find him because of Andy's little problem. That would have pushed him over the edge to know that he was in the presence of a werewolf child. I decided from that day on that it was just going to be me and my kids.

Andy took Izzy's hand. Tears fell from his eyes. Even though they never had the same father, Andy still treated Izzy like more than just a half sister.

"I'm never going to leave, Izzy. You and Mom need me too much and I need you. You are my baby sister," Andy tells her. He gives Izzy a tender smile. I look over at the vampire across the table. He stares at us with a blank emotionless look. It was as if Eric is hiding a part of himself.

"Are you going to eat your food before it gets cold?" Eric asks. I laugh.

We ate the pizza while Eric went to get himself another blood. The mood of the table changed into happiness. Eric watched as we ate our pizza. I would usually feel bad about eating in front of a guest, but Eric never made me feel that way. It seemed like he enjoyed sharing our table with us. Almost like he was trying to capture something he lost.

After the pizza, I filled the dishwasher with our dishes while Eric rinses out his bottles of blood. It almost seems like old times, although Eric is no Harry.

"We need to talk," Eric finally says.

"Andy," I said, picking up on his vibe.

"Yes. I contacted The Longtooth Pack. They want to meet him tomorrow."

"Good. The sooner, the better."

"I agree. They want to meet you too. I figure they could meet you at my bar tomorrow night around ten," he said and put the empty bottles in the glass recycle bin. "I promise you, Belinda. They will help your son. He will not go through this alone," Eric then said as he took my hand in his.

"Thank you," I whispered. "Thank you for everything."

"As long as you work for me, you will never struggle. I will not let pain befall you," he said. I felt his cold hand against my cheek. He pulled back a stray red curly strand from my eyes. The synthetic blood wasn't enough for him. He wanted what was flowing through my veins. I knew I couldn't fight it. Eric could easily overpower me. His fangs came out.

Eric," a small voice said from the entryway to the kitchen. There stood Izzy, speaking in her emotionless way. "Leave my Mom alone. You promised," she said. Eric laughed and put his fangs back. Izzy's eyebrows knit together. She is unhappy with the vampire. I laughed right along with Eric.

"So I did," he says as he picks her up. "Forgive me?"

Izzy's frown quickly turned into a smile. "Only if you come see my dolls," she says.

"It would be a honor," he tells her. Izzy laughs. I smile at my little girl as I watch the vampire take her to her room.

I go into the living room where Andy is watching T.V. He flips through the channels trying to find something that will cheer him up. Andy just sat there, brooding.

"Hey there guy! Care to tell me what's up?" I ask him.

"Why me? Why does this have to happen to me?" he asks me. He flips off the T.V.

"I don't know, sweetie. Maybe you were made this way to protect me and Izzy," I said.

"I could do that without wolfing out. Daddy Joe taught me how to shot a gun and a crossbow."

"Maybe someone up there thought you needed to be a little stronger? I don't know, Andy. Your Mom made a lot of stupid mistakes in her younger days. I wouldn't take you back for the world, but if I could take one thing back, it would be your curse," I said. I slid into the couch next to Andy. Sometimes a boy needs his mother and this is one of those times. Andy cuddles into me. My ten year old boy is roughly my size, maybe two to three inches shorter than me but way stronger. He looks at me with a sad smile.

"I know you would, Mom," he simply says. I hold him for a while. A strange animal like sound resonating from his throat. The kind of noises you hear from a content dog. If Andy had a tail, it would be wagging. I had to get used to these wolf behaviors all over again.

Andy and I decided to check up on Izzy. We walk down the hall. The light of her room spills out from the open door. We peek in to see Eric gently holding the ancient spoon doll wrapped in wool.

"Tell me about Astrid," we hear Izzy say. Eric looks down at my daughter with a warm smile.

"You know about my Astrid? Of course you do, my little Valkyrie. You see far more than anyone will ever know," he says to her. He gently puts the doll back on the shelf. He then sits on the four poster princess bed. Izzy jumps up on the bed next to him. She gives him eager eyes. Eric pulls her onto his lap.

"I'll tell you about my Astrid. She was a special little girl just like you," he said, touching Izzy gently on the nose. "Of course she couldn't see things like you do, Isabelle. She was like you in other ways. She had pretty blond hair like you and the same pretty blue eyes. She loved her mother and father dearly."

"I wish I had a father. Harry didn't love me. That's why he left Mom," Izzy tells Eric. I wanted so much to cry for my daughter like I have many times before. I still wondered how she knew so much about Harry?

I saw Eric hug my daughter. "Harry didn't know how to love you," he whispers to her.

"Did you love Astrid?" Izzy asks the vampire. "Even though she was like me?"

"I loved Astrid with all my heart, little one. That is why I sneaked away from my maker. I needed to find a piece of my Astrid to have with me for always."

"You didn't care if he punished you? Did you? That bad vampire would have hurt you."

"Yes Isabelle, my maker was a very cruel man. I was lucky he never found me," Eric said. He still hugged my little girl. A drop of crimson formed in the corner of his eyes. He grabbed a tissue from the box beside Izzy's bed and wiped away the blood. He broke the silence. "That is why I entrust you with my most prized treasure, Isabelle. My maker still lives. It would anger him to find my Astrid's doll. I protect you and you protect me. That doll is worth more than any gold or silver to me."

"I protect you, Eric. You are my angel. You will keep us safe from the bad man," Izzy says to the vampire. She hugs him back. Eric gently pats her back.

"Can you do me another favor, Isabelle?" He asks her.

"What's that?"

"Tell your brother that I'm not a bad man. Let him know that he doesn't have to growl at me or show me his fangs," Eric says. Then I hear the click of his fangs popping out. Izzy laughs. She is totally unafraid of the vampire in her bedroom. Eric even crosses his eyes at her and she laughs louder.

"Maybe Andy likes you. He doesn't know how to show it," Izzy says in a giggling expressive voice. The shell that is her autism seems to crack every time Eric is around. Eric gives her that warm fatherly smile.

I decided that was my cue to enter the room. I decided to play dumb even though I'm pretty sure the vampire knew that my son and I were spying.

"Izzy baby, it's bedtime," I said.

"Mom, can I stay up just a little longer," she whined. Izzy never whines. She acts like a robot usually.

"No sweetie, it's bedtime," I tell her as I grab her nightgown. I made a mental note that the kids and I are going shopping. Maybe at an actual mall instead of at the Goodwill or a church thrift store. For once I can afford new things for them.

"Listen to your mother, Isabelle. Tomorrow night Ms. Spark will come and keep you company," Eric tells her. Izzy's face lights up like a Christmas tree. I start undressing her while Eric distracts her with the news of her favorite babysitter.

"Not her," Andy protest. "She is like a sugar high gone wrong."

Eric smirks. Apparently Andy and the vampire do have something in common. "You will be coming with your mother, Andrew. You will not get the privilege of Ms. Spark's company," Eric said is a sarcastic way.

"Thank God," Andy bellows. Eric seems amused by my boy's distaste for the fairy/elf hybrid.

"You will get to meet the local packmaster instead," Eric then says. Andy contained his excitement, but I know more than anything, he's nervous.

"That means you need to be nice to Mr. Northman, Andy. I don't want to hear one growl from you. You got that," I say. Andy whimpered.

"The next full moon is three days from now. I have a feeling that the next full moon might possibly be your first, Andrew. I need to make sure you are prepared to take on your wolf responsibilities. You need to hunt with the pack for a while before you can hunt on your own. When Coronal Flood says it's all right, you have free rein to hunt on this land," Eric tells Andy. Andy still didn't trust Eric much, but helping him into the pack might be the first step.

"Andy will be the bravest wolf ever," Izzy cheered. Eric smiles at her. He picks her up as I pull back the covers on the bed. Izzy laughs as Eric tosses her unto the bed. "Someday, he will not just be packmaster, but king of the wolves," Izzy proclaimed.

"I don't know about king, my little Valkyrie? He will make a great wolf someday," Eric says. He kisses her forehead as he pulls her covers up.

"Thank you, sis. I love you. Goodnight," Andy tells her. He kisses her cheek.

"I love you too, Andy. I didn't mean to make you cry. Goodnight," Izzy says. Andy gives her a small smile. Andy could never stay mad at Izzy. Even if she never was autistic, Andy still couldn't stay mad at her.

"You know I forgive you," he whispers to her and gives her a hug.

"Goodnight, my little Valkyrie," Eric whispers to her.

"Goodnight, my angel," she whispers back. She gives Eric a smile.

Then I say my goodnight. "Mom, Eric won't let the bad man get us," she whispers to me. I just smile.

"I know, baby. Goodnight," I whisper. I kiss her cheek and turn off the light.


	10. Chapter 10

Andy and the vampire sat in the silence of the living room. I lingered in the hallway to see if they would speak to one another. It seems important to me that Andy gets along with my boss. Eric has done so much for us. More than anyone, except maybe Daddy Joe.

"Daddy Joe told me about your kind," Andy says, breaking the awkward silence.

"The hunter your mother worked for? I have heard of this man that goes by the name of Daddy Joe long before I knew of your mother," Eric answered him.

"Yeah, he told me that your kind treats humans like cattle. Vampires shower their human cows with gifts only to toss them aside later when the vampires grows bored of them," Andy said, sounding beyond his ten years. I assume he is only repeating whatever Daddy Joe told him.

"I am not one of _those_ vampires, Andrew. I want to live among the humans. I don't wish to live like a rogue," Eric said with a growl. Andy returned his growl.

The yellow glow returned to my son's eyes. His incisors grew into fangs again. This time his ears had a slight point to them. The angrier he seems to get, the more the wolf came out of him.

"I need to know that you are not going use my Mom," Andy said in a deeper than normal voice.

"I am paying your mother for her skills. I have no intentions of using her as a cow. I have plenty of human women who already want me. I have no use for pets," Eric says with a smirk. His fangs fully extended.

"I better not see fang marks on her neck," Andy growls.

"I am not your enemy. I understand your distrust of me, boy. I understand that you are only protecting your dear ones. I have no hatred towards you. I only want to protect what is in my best interest. I only bite those that only wish to be bitten," Eric spoke in what I describe as a slight Scandinavian accent. Eric did his best to be patient with my son, despite his growing agitation. I needed to intervene.

"Andy! Enough! I think it's time you get ready for bed," I said with a stern look on my face.

"But Mom," Andy said and whimpered. He cried like a puppy.

"Hey, look here, my little pup. Mom can take care of herself. I can't have this. Not now. Besides, Daddy Joe told you his rule to hunting. So far Mr. Northman has been civil. He only bit me that once and that was when Mom was working and I didn't know he was a vampire and he didn't know I had you two at home. You've seen me come home in a lot worst shape than that and that was from human men, not vampires," I explained. Yes, my son has seen his mother come home from Fantasy covered in bruises before. He never said anything, but instead would give me a sad and worried look. At ten years of age, Andy knew a little about the birds and the bees. Unfortunately he also knew about strippers, whores, and drug dealers. Not the ideal environment to raise a child, but Andy always knew right from wrong. He usually did the right thing. Help me with taking care of our little family. Andy is the only man in my life that I can truly count on.

Andy stood up and gave me those sad and worried eyes once again. The glow disappeared and the rest of him changed back to normal. I had my little man once again, although my little man is growing up fast. Tears began to form in the corner of his eyes. Andy is tough but sensitive at the same time.

"Mom… I'm only," Andy choked.

"I know, baby," I said, calmly.

Andy turned to Eric. He looked down at the hard wood floor. Eric retracted his fangs.

"Eric…. I'm sorry," Andy mumbled.

"You can't help your nature, Andrew," Eric answered him in a soft voice.

Andy never looked up. If he did, he would see a look of pity on the vampire's face.

"Can I ask you one more question?" Andy asks.

"You may ask me anything."

"What does Izzy see in you that I can't? She trust you and I don't understand it?"

"Your sister sees most than most, Andrew. She knows that I am not here to harm you or your mother. Izzy is an innocent of the rare kind. If I meant you or your mother any harm, she would be the first to know," Eric said and paused. He stood up and walked over to Andy. He towered over my boy, but I suspect that before long that won't be the case. He put his finger under Andy's chin and gently lift it up so that Andy could look into his eyes. He looked into Andy's eyes with a thoughtfulness. "I don't expect us to be great friends, Andrew. You have been hurt too much by others and had to grow up fast. Even a child of my time was never put though the experiences that you have been though, but I do promise you one thing. Let me in and I will be your ally in protecting your dear ones. I will teach you to be a great fighter. I need you to trust me. It is important."

Andy pulled away from Eric. He ran towards his room where the door slammed shut. I looked down the hallway to see if the door was still on its hinges.

"I am so sorry. Andy is usually a good boy," was all I could say. Eric gave me a small smile.

"I know," he quietly mumbled.

"You know a lot about us?" I ask.

"I do my research, Belinda. I know that despite everything you have been through, you just want what every human seems to want."

"And what's that?" I ask looking up into those haunting blue eyes. He grabs my hand and rubs it with his thumb.

"To live. You are as much of a fighter as your son. You would have been dead long ago if you were not. Tell me about Tony DeMarcus," he said. A name I could go a thousand years without hearing.

"T-Bone is a bastard," was all I could say. I'm in no mood to dig out this certain skeleton out of my closet.

"You were going to abort your son. T-Bone raped you three nights before your one night stand. You were ready to end your son's life because you felt you were going to give birth to something evil," Eric said. He gave me a blank stare. Tears fell from my eyes. I wanted to scream at him, but I didn't want my kids to hear me. "He hurt you, Belinda. He hurt you in a way that no woman should ever be hurt. Then he tried to mark you with his teeth," he then said and I cried.

"That bastard took me where no one could find me. He raped me in his wolf form," I whispered. "If it wasn't for the fact that I could barely walk the next day, Howl would have never known his son's indiscretion."

"The pack master refused to destroy his son even though he caused him shame," Eric said. I felt his cold dead hand over mine. "The drugs made it easy for the wolf to take you," he whispered. He enveloped me in his arms. I cried into his chest. He rubbed my back. "The pack master refused to kill him, but I will," he then whispered.

Eric holds me and keeps me quiet. He smells my hair. The logical side of me knew that Eric is a predator and not human, but here he was, showing me more humanity than any man has ever shown me before. Even Harry never liked seeing me cry.

"I never want my kids to know," I whisper.

"I know," Eric says.

"Thank God, Andy isn't T-Bone's."

"Yes," Eric simply answers. I felt safe in his arms. I took in his scent. He had on cologne, but underneath is all, he smelled of earth. I miss the feel of a man against my body.

"My boy still needs to knew who his dad is. I don't like him being a bastard," I whisper.

"I will find the man responsible for giving you Andrew. I promise," Eric whispered back.

"Please don't hurt him and don't force him. I just want to know his name. If he wants to meet Andy, he can," I say. I've heard that vampires can be literal creatures. They have lost a sense of something the older they become. Judging from what I can guess of Eric, he is quite ancient.

Eric and I walked out to the front porch. It was a rainy night in Shreveport. The rain covered the Corvette parked on the gravel drive. We sat down on the swing and rocked back and forth. Eric isn't the type of guy I ever thought would treat me like I was somebody. Nobody like him would want a scrawny ginger like myself. Hell, I was surprised that Andy's dad even wanted to fuck me.

Eric held my hand in his. He looked out into the rainy night in a daze. He reminded me of a marble statue. His grasp to my hand still gently firm despite the fact that it didn't look like he was home upstairs. I went deep into my own thoughts. I thought about that sick bastard that raped me. T-Bone was everything you imagined a greasy biker to be. Oily long brown hair, broken nose, broken teeth, and tattoos over practically every area of his body. He was actually short with broad shoulders. He always looked like he belonged in prison orange instead of biker leathers. He needed to die.

"You take these two weeks off. I know the hunter told you that he didn't need you. I was going to have you start sooner, but take these two weeks to be with your children," Eric said, finally breaking out of his daze.

"You sure?"

"Quite sure. I shall come to visit you every night to see how they are transitioning. They need you right now, Belinda. Your children are never going to want for anything ever again. They need to adapt to their new life," Eric said.

"Thank you, but I would like to meet who I'm working with."

"In two weeks. We will make preparations for the revelation. Curious humans will keep us quite busy," he said giving me that smirk again. My trust in the vampire seems to be growing more with each passing night. I just hope my son can do the same. Eric stood up out of the swing.

"Is this goodnight?" I ask.

"Yes. Goodnight Belinda," he says. He leans down and kisses my cheek. At vampire speed, he is in his car and pulling out of my drive. I wave. Eric is probably dry at the speed he moves.

Time for damage control. I go to Andy's room to see if he is sleeping. Just as I suspect, he isn't. He is sitting Indian style on his bed, crying. I sit next to him under the glow of his desk lamp. I pull him into a hug.

"You know I don't like yelling at you," I tell him. I give him a small sincere smile.

"I know, Mom. I don't what to make of him? He has done so much for us, but I can't trust him like Izzy can. Daddy Joe told me about vampires and Daddy Joe is usually right."

"Give Eric a chance. That is all I ask. You don't have to be his best bud or anything. Just be civil."

"It's hard. Daddy Joe told me werewolves and vampires don't usually like each other," he tells me. Andy has been talking to Daddy Joe way too much lately. The old man is the only male in his life to give him any guidance. There are certain things that a mother isn't equipped to handle, like a growing werewolf.

"Try for me. If not for me, Izzy," I say. I kiss his forehead. "You need to get some sleep, sweetie. We have a long night ahead of up tomorrow and I want to take you and Izzy shopping."

"Okay Mom. Goodnight. I love you," Andy says and gives me a hug.

"I love you too. Goodnight Andy," I tell him. He lays down and I turn off his light.

I check on Izzy. The window to her room is wide open again. Under the glow of the nightlight I see Eric knelt down next to her bed. He spoke softly to her in a language I've only heard on T.V. Some European tongue. He petted her hair. I open the door and the light from the hallway spills in. He looks up at me with sad eyes.

"She was having nightmares again. I heard her cries through the trees," he said. He kept on petting her and soothing her despite the fact that she has fallen back asleep.

"She has them every night usually. Once in a while we get a quiet night," I said. Eric still gave me that sad look. It seems to bother him that my daughter has nightmares.

"I will make them go away," he whispers to her sleeping form. "Little girls are not suppose to have nightmares."

I shut her window and yawn. "I need to get to bed myself. You can stay as long as you like. Just use the front door when you leave. I don't want Izzy catching a cold or something from that open window. Goodnight Eric," I say. I lean down and kiss his cheek. I don't know what made me do that, but it just seemed like the right thing to do.

"Goodnight Belinda," he whispers and then gives my daughter his full attention.

Guardian angel or guardian vampire? Either way, Izzy called it right. I go to sleep in my own comfortable bed. A bed that I would never have if it wasn't for the vampire that is presently chasing away my little girl's monsters. A creature that some would call a monster if they knew they existed. Eric is no more a monster to me than some humans. I hope all goes well with this coming out of the coffin thing.


	11. Chapter 11

I had a terrible nightmare. No thanks to Eric, he made me remember the worst night of my life. The glowing yellow eyes, the gray fur, and the worst part of all, the fangs. I want that bastard dead. He took a part of me and destroyed it. Tony 'T-Bone' DeMarcus needs to die a slow, painful, torturous death.

I woke up to the sunlight streaming in through the windows and my son serving me breakfast in bed. A cherry pop tart and glass of orange juice with a daisy in a vase. Andy smiles at me.

"Morning Mom. We have a busy day ahead of us," he tells me.

"Yes we do. I'm taking you and Izzy to the mall today. We are all going to get brand new clothes and shoes for once," I tell my boy.

I mess his dark hair. Andy gently pulls away. If he used all his strength on me, I would have broken bones for days, but Andy is gentle with his dear old mother.

"Oh yeah, I found this envelope on the kitchen table this morning. Looks like Eric strikes again," Andy said the last line like he had a bitter taste in his mouth.

I sit up in my bed and let Andy place the tray on my lap. I open the envelope. Another note and this time a bank card with my name on it. I read the note:

_Belinda,_

_I can't have my employee going around looking less than herself. Even her children for that matter. I have enclosed a bank card with five thousand dollars for you to spend as you see right. Take your wolf and dress him up for his first pack meeting tonight. Dressy casual is the term my progeny gave me to use. I suspect you know what that means. _

_A car will also be sent to come for you and your wolf. Be ready by nine-thirty. See you tonight._

_-E-_

Tears started to form in my eyes. It's enough that I had two grand in cash that I haven't even touched yet. Now I have another five grand to spend on clothes and shoes for the kids and myself. I've never had this much money in my entire life. Andy looks at me with concern filling his green eyes.

"You okay, Mom," he says. I just nodded.

"He is too good to us," I mumbled. Andy hugged me.

I go to Izzy's room after my breakfast in bed. She stood near her shelves, making good and sure her dolls are where they ought to be. She gravitates towards the spoon doll. She takes it from the shelf and holds it. The minute the doll is within her grasp, a serene smile crosses her lips. She closes her eyes and just stands there in her Hello Kitty nightgown with bare feet and messy hair. Then sadness plays on her face. She quickly opens her eyes and places the doll back on the shelf.

I wait a few minutes to enter her room. She gives me that blank look that I have come so used to. Izzy's usual look.

"Morning baby! You ready to go places today?" I ask her.

"I have already been somewhere," she says in her usual monotone way.

"You have? Where was that?"

"Astrid's home," she says.

"Oh, and where may that be?"

"A place that is cold with a lot of snow. Astrid dresses warm. She never gets cold. Her modir and fadir wouldn't allow it," Izzy explains with a spark in her blue eyes. "Her modir and fadir love her. She is like me."

"Where did you ever learn those words?" I ask. I have a strong feeling of their meaning. They sound close to mother and father.

"Astrid," she answers.

There is something strange about my daughter. Something tells me that a growing wolf child isn't the only concern I have. Maybe my Izzy is more than just autistic.

"Let's get you dress," I say, changing the subject. I am interested in hearing more about this mysterious Astrid, but we have a lot to do today.

"We going shopping?" Izzy ask as I pull out fresh clothes.

"Yes. Our friend Eric gave us some money so that we can buy some nice things," I say. A smile forms on Izzy's lip at the mere mention of the vampire. "I'm going to get you a pretty dress and some new hair ribbons."

"And new shoes," she says.

"And new shoes. Hey, I got an idea. When we get back from shopping, maybe you and Andy can make Eric a thank you card."

"He will like that," Izzy says with a smile.

"Yes he will," I said and kissed her cheek.

We go to the mall. It was nice having money to spend. I am still frugal. I mostly checked the sale racks first. I found Andy a nice white dress shirt and a pair of khakis. I paired it with a tie and a nice pair of size men's ten shoes. I found Izzy a pretty pink dress and patent Mary Jane's. I found myself a simple black dress and heels. Perfect for a family portrait. Then I found everyday clothes for us. When all was said and done, I spent less than half the money on the card. We then went out for a big lunch at a fairly nice restaurant. Izzy and Andy were on their best behavior. Andy helped Izzy finish off a sundae. We enjoyed ourselves for the first time in a long time.

We got home sometime around four in the afternoon. I pulled out the art supplies I bought Izzy with my own money. Andy helped her settle into her room where the two worked on the thank you card. I took the sales tags off of the new clothes and put them away. Izzy, Andy, and I each got two new pairs of shoes. One nice pair and a pair of sneakers. I bought us three pairs of jeans each and some t-shirts. It was nice having new clothes. Next is an appointment with the eye doctor to get some new glasses. Izzy and I are overdue to have our eyes checked. Andy I never had to worry about when it comes to stuff like that. I lay out Andy's outfit for tonight on his bed. I hear Andy talking to Izzy. They were decided on how the card should look. I smile to myself.

Andy and Izzy came out of her bedroom to show me the card as I was in the kitchen preparing a light snack for us. The card said, "Thank you Eric," in Andy's handwriting. Underneath the words in crayon, Izzy drew a circled face with a smile and two points coming out of the smile. Yellow crayon scribbles around the face and a horned helmet. I assumed it was supposed to be Eric. I smile. I open the card and in Andy's impeccable print it said, "For everything." Underneath the words stood three stick figures. Two the same height. One with black scribbles for hair with the other one had red. The smaller figure held what looked like a doll. Izzy drew the whole family.

"We need to sign this and I'll find an envelope for it," I tell my kids. Izzy gives me a small smile. I let her sign the card first. She signed her named in red crayon and her name took up the whole blank side of the card. Then Andy and I signed it. I put it in an envelope and let Izzy sign Eric's name to the front of it. She took great joy in her task. Andy and I have never seen Izzy so alert before.

I put the envelope in my red leather purse. Then I go to get myself dressed for a night of werewolf politics. I hope they accept Andy into the pack. My boy is such a worthwhile child. I put on my simple sleeveless black dress. It showed off the girls in a tasteful way. The skirt of the dress had a slight flare and cinched my waist in all the right ways. I pull up my wild red mop in a slight French twist and pulled some of the hair on top. I add a costume jewelry necklace and my new black pumps to make up the rest of the outfit. I needed to make a good impression on the pack master. I wanted him to see that I am a capable and fit single mother.

I come out to the living room where Andy sits nervously on the couch. He waited for me to help him with his tie. Izzy is looking through the games, trying to decide which one Ms. Spark would want to play.

"You look pretty, Mom," Andy says.

"Thank you. You don't look too bad yourself, son. Pretty soon I'm going to be beating them girls off of you with a stick," I said. Andy gives me a nervous laugh.

"Let's fix your hair," I said. Andy has naturally wavy hair that likes to stand up on end. I get the comb and some hair gel. I work on taming Andy's wild locks. The wave is still there but his hair appeared close to shoulder length whenever I groomed it down. Maybe I should have gotten my boy a haircut today? It'll have to do for now.

The doorbell rang, I go to open it up to Ms. Spark. I let her in and looked out into the drive to see no car. Tonight the elf/fairy hybrid looked no less colorful than she did the day before. A black hoodie with a purple star pattern on it. A puffy purple skirt with purple and black stripped tight. Black fingerless gloves. Her baby fine almost white hair had faint purple streaks and a black knit cap on her head. Black high top Converse rounded out the unusual outfit. Ms. Spark appeared much shorter than she did the day before. Now I could clearly see that she is child-sized. Izzy ran to her and gave her a hug. She then took her by the hand and showed her to the Chutes and Ladders board she had set up.

"Whoa little girl, I need to talk to your Mom first," said Ms. Spark. She gave Izzy a kind smile.

"Okay Auggie," Izzy answers her. Then she comes to me. Augustine Spark moved like a dancer despite her colorful appearance.

"Everything should be okay, Belinda. I'll make sure she is tucked in safe and sound," she tells me.

"Good. Izzy can have some popcorn if she wants it. I seriously doubt she is hungry. I laid her night clothes out on her bed," I said.

"Not a problem, Belinda. Izzy and I are going to have a good time. Your car is coming. I better let you go. Have a good time. Izzy is in safe hands," Ms. Spark said. No sooner than she told me that, I heard a car horn. Izzy came up to me and gave both me and Andy a hug before heading out the door.

A black Cadillac waits in the drive. A small blond woman got out of the car. She had an otherworldly quality to her. She looked sort of like Alice in Wonderland with her powder blue dress and matching hair band. She leaned against the car and the paleness of her skin gave away that she is a vampire.

"My name is Pam. You must be our new human, Belinda," she says to me. I nodded. If there is anything above all that I have learned from being around werewolves is that they like to be the alphas. Vampires, I assume are no less different. She gives Andy a once over. The corners of her mouth quirk up like she knew something that I didn't. "We mustn't leave the Master waiting," she then says as she opens up the car door to the backseat.

Andy and I sat in silence in the back seat of the car. Pam made no effort at starting a conversation. Her cell phone rang and then I heard that same foreign language Eric spoke to Izzy the night before.

"The pack is waiting," she then informs us. Andy and I made no response. My boy followed my lead.

The car pulled into a parking lot. The building looked like it was in the process of renovation. The outside painted a generic gray and the skeleton of an awning above the entrance. No signs except for a coming soon sign on the front door. Andy and I followed Pam through the door. Eric waited for us by the entrance. He gives me a nod and I nod back. A small smile formed on his lips and his eyes told me that I have nothing to worry about. He than takes my arm and wraps his around it like he was my escort. I felt like a lady for the first time in my life despite the fact that he escorted me through a half finished bar area. Buckets and ladders pushed up against the walls. Plastic hanging on the walls.

"You have nothing to worry about," he whispers in my ear. "I'll be with you."

Andy followed behind us. I looked back to see his nervous eyes. I give him a smile and Andy returns it. There in the middle of what looked like it was going to be a dance floor stood a man of authority with a buzz cut. The pack master, I assume. Next to him is a distinguished southern lady dressed to the nines and another red headed woman dressed in the same sort of soccer mom chic that the female Vampire Pam wore. Then there was another tan skinned gentleman with graying dark hair. Him and the southern lady are the only ones to give me a smile.

Eric motions for Andy to take his place. The vampire stands back but stays to watch over us. My stomach started doing flip flops as Mr. Buzz cut walked around us. Inspecting Andy and I as if we were a big juicy piece of meat. He sniffed the air as he did this.

"Belinda Jean Harrison, I am Coronal John Flood. Pack master of the Long Tooth Pack. The North man has brought your son to our attention," he said like a true military man.

He waited for my response. I didn't know what to say. So I decide to stay silent.

"He also told us that you have been in Shreveport for ten years now and that your son was born in a hospital here. Why did you not notify the pack?" He asked. I still didn't know what to say, so I told the truth.

"I have had a bad experience with werewolves, sir. I worked for a Were in Monroe by the name of Howl DeMarcus," was all I had to say. Coronal Flood lifted an eyebrow at the mention of Howl's name.

"I know of whom you speak of," was all he said. Then he paced around me again. "You are pure human. I heard this Howl employed humans in his establishment. He is a virus on our kind. His son especially."

Tears began to flow from my eyes. I didn't like the mention of T-Bone. I kept my calm though. "He raped me," I confessed. I don't know why I said it, but I felt it had to be said. This got a reaction from the other Weres. Coronal Flood growled. Andy gave me a pained look. He wanted to run, but he couldn't.

"You never told me. We tell each other everything. You never told me," he said. Tears filled his eyes.

"I was waiting until you were old enough," I tell him

"Is he my dad?"

"No Andy. I don't know who your dad is, but it's not him," I hated confessing to my son my deepest darkest secrets in front of strangers.

"Is that why you have nightmares?" He ask me. I did my best not to break, so I just nodded. Andy may have been a little pissed at me, but he hugged me all the same.

The southern lady looked at us with pity in her eyes. The graying gentleman also looked at us with pity. The red head was unreadable.

"I will put it to a vote with the select pack members I have brought with me. We are one short tonight, but I don't think it will matter. He is in New Orleans for his work. If you are allowed into our pack, Andrew, you will get a chance to meet him when he returns," Coronal Flood said. Andy nodded. Coronal Flood pulled the other Weres to the opposite side of the room.

Eric came over to us. Pam at his side. They looked almost like brother and sister although I have a feeling that their relationship is more like father and daughter. Pam looked at us with a blank expression. Eric had the same blank expression even though his eyes deceived him. He had to put on an act in front of the other vampire and werewolves. I'll have to wait to give him the card. We waited for the vote.


	12. Chapter 12

The Weres spoke to each other in a whisper. Eric sent Pam away. I felt more comfortable being alone with Eric. He holds my hand. Andy gives me sad eyes. He wanted an explanation.

"I am old enough for you to tell me about your rape, Mom," Andy says.

"I know, sweetheart. I planned on telling you about it. Just not this soon and not in front of strangers," I tell my son. I did my best to hold back my tears. Eric stands close to me. He licks a tear from my cheek. Eric looked out of place in his t-shirt and jeans. His blond hair floating around his strong shoulders. Andy suppressed a growl from his throat when Eric licked the tear. Andy tries his best to be civil to Eric. Eric placed a hand on Andy's shoulder.

"I need your help, Andrew. I will avenge your mother's rapist. I need your assistance in doing this. We must work together. This T-Bone is a very evil werewolf. Your mother is not his only victim. Please forgive your mother for not telling you the truth. She is only trying to protect you and your sister," Eric tells him.

Pam came back with a case. It looked like a rifle case. She hands it over to Eric.

"I have learned that the hunter taught you how to shot a gun. According to what I've been told, you are quite the shooter. I have a present for you. It is a rifle with silver bullets. You are only to use this rifle on any creature that tries to hurt your family," Eric said as he handed the case over to Andy. Andy was at a loss for words. My boy is sure growing up fast.

I waited till Pam walked away and handed Eric the envelope. The Weres seemed deep in their conversation. Their decision seems to be taking forever. Eric looked at the envelope. A small smile formed on his lips when he saw his name written in red crayon. He opens the envelope and looks at the front of the card. He let out a small laugh. Then he opens the card. A small drop of blood came out of the corner of his eye. I fumble with my purse for a tissue which I hand to the vampire. He gladly accepts it and turns away. Andy and I look at each other. Andy gives me a sad yet forgiving look. He puts the rifle down and hugs Eric. Eric pats my boy on his back.

"I'm sorry," Andy whispers to Eric.

The Weres all went back to the center of the dance floor. Coronal Flood stood at attention. Andy and I take our place in front of the werewolves. Andy gives me a nervous look.

"We have come to our decision as to allow you into our pack, Andrew Harrison. Even though your mother isn't a Were and she should have contacted us immediately after your birth, we are willing to allow you to become a member of our pack," the military man said. Andy smiles. "Of course this will mean that you are under our protection and guidance. You will attend pack meetings and you will hunt with the pack. Your mother will bring you to the locales we request. She is to drop you off and leave. You will be assigned a partner who we will decide on at a later date. Welcome to the pack, son," Coronal Flood said. He held out his hand. Andy didn't know werewolf protocol and tried to shake it. The southern lady smiles and stops him.

"No son. You are to lick his hand. I know it seems a little weird. Trust me," she said to Andy in a whisper. Andy did as he was told. Coronal Flood seems pleased. The Weres then introduced themselves. The southern lady's name was Christine Larabee, the red head just went by Amanda, and the gray haired gentleman's name was Jackson Herveaux. I was tempted to ask him if he was of the construction Herveaux's, but I didn't. That name made me think of Harry and our old life.

"You remind me of my own boy. Although he is a man now. He is the one who couldn't make it tonight," Jackson tells Andy. "You will get to meet him. Hopefully at the next pack meeting."

I looked across the room at Pam and there was that look again. I wonder what she knows that I don't? The werewolves seemed like a civil group of people unlike that biker trash that I used to have to deal with back in the day. Coronal Flood even complimented me on Andy's upbringing. I am so proud of my boy.

The Were's all leave the bar. They nodded at Eric on the way out. Pam makes sure the door is locked. Eric motions for Andy and I to follow him. He talks to Pam in that foreign tongue again. Pam responds in kind. She then takes the rifle case out to the car.

We go into what looks like an office area in the bar. Everything still looks like it's getting renovated back here as well. Eric puts the card on his desk with other paperwork. He looks down at Andy.

"You see now that I am not the enemy, Andrew. I mean it when I say that I need your help," Eric said in a soft voice. Andy looks up into his eyes. No wolf outburst tonight. Eric handed Andy a picture. I look at it to see the tattooed face of T-Bone.

"This is the man I want you to help me bring down. I can't be there during the day. This is where I need your help, Andrew. Show this picture to the hunter as well. I am asking you to do something that I wish you not to do. I need you to kill this man if you see him anywhere near your family," Eric explains.

"This is T-Bone?" Andy asks the vampire. Eric nodded. "This bastard needs to die for what he did to my Mom. I think I can do it. I think I can shoot him," Andy says in a small voice.

"You are expecting my boy to kill?" I ask. I didn't like the idea of my boy having to kill any werewolf. Even if this man did something heinous to me.

"He is the man of the family. It is Andrew's responsibility to protect you and Isabelle. Andrew is a man now," Eric says. I stare daggers at the vampire.

"This isn't the Viking age, Northman! My son isn't even considered adult by law," I cried.

"Not by human law, Harrison," Eric said with his Scandinavian accent escaping. "This Were has been spotted here in Shreveport. The Long Tooth Pack have been tracking him for two days now. It is only a matter of time before he finds you and tries to mark you again. I can't have that. You understand me, woman," Eric says in as calm of a voice as he could manage. I didn't want to fight with him. I wanted to go home. Andy let out a yawn. It's getting late.

Pam comes back into the office. She leans against the wall with her arms crossed.

"Call the half breed and let her know that I will be bringing Belinda and Andrew back to their home," he tells the small vampire. Pam heads back out of the office. "Come on, I'll be taking you home," Eric then says to Andy and I.

The drive home was one big awkward silence. Andy fell asleep in the back seat with the rifle case on his lap. Eric stared straight ahead at the road. I just allowed myself to get lost in my own thoughts.

"Hopefully your boy will never have to shoot that gun," Eric said, breaking the silence.

"I hope not. I don't like that we have to keep that thing in our house in the first place."

"It is for the best, Belinda. Andrew is much stronger than you or Isabelle. He will be the first one to smell out T-Bone."

"I don't know. That asshole didn't know what a shower was. PePe' LaPew has nothing on that dickhead," I said. Eric let out a quiet laugh. It was nice to see that somebody could still smile.

"Andrew's reflexes are a lot quicker and can match the Were's. I know you are a fighter and a survivor, but nothing is better at fighting a Were than a vampire. I can't be there for you during the day, so a Were is going to have to take him on. I need to make sure you and Isabelle are protected," he said. Eric grabs my hand and gently squeezes it.

We pull into the drive. The house is dark except for the front porch light. I pull my house key out of the purse while Eric pulls Andy out of the backseat. Eric held Andy and the rifle case as if they weighed as much as a feather. No one looked like they were in the house. Needless to say, I'm worried.

"The half breed left the minute I pulled the car into the drive. Her kind doesn't last long around my kind. Isabelle is safe," Eric reassured me.

I open the door and Eric follows me to Andy's room. I turn on the lamp as Eric lays Andy down on his bed. I remove his shoes and tie. Andy is far too old for Mom to put him in his bedclothes. Eric puts the rifle case on a shelf in the closet. I kiss Andy's cheek and he stirs a little.

"Goodnight my little lupine," I whisper. I shut off the light and the door to his room.

Eric and I stood in the hallway. I look up into those haunting blue eyes. Eric touches my arm. I want to kiss him. I miss the touch and scent of a man. My kids give me all of what I need, except they can't give me the companionship of an adult man. Eric pulls my hair out of the French twist. My red hair falls past my shoulders.

"You should have worn your hair down," he whispers in my ear. "You have beautiful hair, Belinda."

He pulls my glasses off of my nose. Everything is a blur. "Shame you need these to see. You have beautiful eyes," he tells me in a seductive voice. I want him all over me. I can feel it with every fiber of my being.

"And your blood. Your blood is divine." he say as he bends over and graze his lips and fangs along my neck. I close my eyes.

The moment of seduction is interrupted by a scream. Izzy again. I hear the click of Eric's fangs and he is gone. I feel around for my glasses on the hallway table. I put them on and head for Izzy's room. So much for my shot at vampire sex.

The glow of the nightlight showed Eric cradling my daughter. Izzy's sad blue eyes look up at me. Eric rocks back and forth till Izzy calms down.

"Care to tell me what is wrong, Isabelle?" Eric asks her. He wipes away her tears with a tissue.

"Astrid's fadir is missing and her modir died. Astrid is sad. She never got to say goodbye," Izzy says. Eric hugs her. The blood started coming out of the corner of his eyes. This time heavier than the blood at the bar. Then it dawned on me. Vampires cry blood. "Astrid never got tell them how much she loves them."

Eric held my daughter tight, but careful not to use all his strength. Izzy wouldn't be able to survive a full on vampire hug. Eric nuzzled her hair.

"I missed her too and I loved her," Eric cried. "I miss my dottir."

I didn't know what to do. Izzy held onto the sleeves of Eric's t-shirt. "She loved you," Izzy says. "She tells me she still loves you. She doesn't want you to forget."

"I can never forget my Astrid," Eric whispers. He wipes the blood from his eyes. Some of his blood is in Izzy's hair. Eric tries to wipe it away. Note to self, Izzy gets a bath in the morning.

Izzy gives Eric a hug. "I didn't mean to make you cry, Eric," she says in a monotone way.

"It's quite alright, my little Valkyrie. Go to sleep and dream of happy things. Think of your brodir. He is pack now," Eric tells her.

"Good for Andy," Izzy says. Eric gives her a small smile. Izzy ignores the blood on his t-shirt.

"Goodnight Eric," Izzy whispers.

"Goodnight Isabelle," Eric says and kisses her forehead.

"Goodnight baby," I tell her and kiss her forehead.


	13. Chapter 13

**I want to thank all my readers out there in internet land. I really enjoy writing this story. It's fun taking a character that is so minor and giving her a backstory. All we ever hear is Sookie's side and sometimes I like to think that Sookie's ego gets the best of her. Of course she can read minds, but not the heart. Just some food for thought I would express. Again, thanks bunches for the reads and the reviews! I hope you all enjoy! :)**

Eric left the house shortly after Izzy's nightmare. I suspected he never fully left. Eric had a bad habit of entering the house when we were all sleeping. I told him to just use the front door. I even had a spare key made. Actually, it was supposed to be Andy's key, but I gave it to the vampire instead. Priorities, priorities. Oh well, I'll have another one made tomorrow when I take the kids to go see Daddy Joe. Speaking of which, that old man has a lot of questions to answer. Mainly about Mr. Eric Northman.

Questions swirled through my mind as I got myself ready for bed. Questions like: Did Eric talk to Daddy Joe before he approached me? How long did Eric even track me before he even made his first move? How the hell did Eric know that Daddy Joe trained my son? Hopefully tomorrow I will be enlightened on all of this.

I woke up and made a homemade breakfast. My kids haven't had a really good breakfast in years. Eggs, bacon, sausage, and fresh orange juice. The kids enjoyed having a real breakfast for once. Andy tore into the sausage and bacon. My son, like most werewolves is a card carrying carnivore. Izzy eats dainty. She likes to pick at her food which is why she is so thin. I suspect she'll grow out of it. I remember my Mom always complaining about the way I would eat. I was a picker much like Izzy. I wasn't one of those mothers that believes a child should clean their plate. Izzy will eat only what she needs to eat.

Izzy got her bath and I made sure we are all set for a day with Daddy Joe. My kids always liked that old coot. Even Izzy seems at ease with him. Daddy Joe was really Andy's only male role model and may not be much of one considering that Daddy Joe used to hunt Andy's kind. Only the feral ones he used to always tell me. He knew what Andy was the minute the old man met my son. I had brought him into work one day in his pumpkin seat. Long before I met Izzy's dad. No sooner Daddy Joe got one look at my boy, he knew. He played it off in front of the others, but when he got me alone, he told me all about his secret life before becoming a restaurant owner. Since he told me about himself, I thought what the hell. Since that day, Daddy Joe has been one of my closest friends, if not my only one. Now I have to figure out how Eric Northman falls into this picture?

The minute I pull into the parking lot of The Crawldaddy Shack, Andy and Izzy couldn't get out of the car fast enough. With his gnarled old wooden cane, Daddy Joe came out to greet us. Straw cowboy hat, stiff leg and all. His gray hair tied back and the lines on his face exposing the true character he is. A sort of thin and underfeed demented Santa Claus. Cowboy shirt and worn out boots. There is no way anyone could ever hate this man.

Andy gently gives him a hug and Izzy as always follows the leader. Daddy Joe pats their backs.

"How's my little bayou princess?" Daddy Joe asks Izzy.

"Good. I have a new friend," Izzy tells Daddy Joe. "He gave me a very important treasure."

"He did now? You better keep it safe, girl," Daddy Joe tells Izzy. He gives me that, 'we really need to sit down and shoot the shit look.' I can read that old man like a book. I know it's going to be more than shooting the shit.

"He gave me a brand new rifle, Daddy Joe! A really good one too. I also have some silver shot with it," Andy says.

"Did he now? You remember everything I taught you, boy? Can't have you go around shooting your eye out," Daddy Joe tells Andy. He looks over at me. Yeah, this is going to be more than shooting the shit. His gray eyes told me that there is going to be a lot said on his part.

"I practice when I can now with the BB Gun. I even set up some targets in the woods at our new place," Andy tells the old man.

"Sounds like you have it good," was all Daddy Joe could say.

He took us into the shack. Daryl spied me through the window and gave me a wave. Edna attacked me with a hug after she was done ripping Sidney a new one. Sidney just gave me a smile. Daddy Joe's unusual trophies filled the atmosphere of the shack. A large stuffed coyote greeted you at the door with a permanent fanged smile. The old man took joy in showing off his dead things, but he displayed them in such an odd way. Like high up above Daryl's widow there hung a raccoon's butt with antlers and two glass eyes. Patrons would just stare trying to figure out what kind of weird creature it would be. They laughed whenever they would realize what it was, but some still couldn't figure it out. In one corner of the shack he displayed a gator laying in an aluminum lounge chair like it was catching some rays. Big novelty sunglasses sat across its snout. Daddy Joe bragged to me about the time he nearly got Hogzilla to add to his collection. Swamp water ran deep through this man's veins.

Andy and Izzy sat in an empty booth at the most out of the way corner in the place. Edna fussed over my kids. She made good and sure to let Andy know that he is growing like a weed. My boy is now taller than the five foot waitress. She made sure Izzy knew how pretty she was, even though they all knew Izzy never reacted like normal kids her age. Daryl even came out of the kitchen to see the kids. He gave Andy a five. Andy knew how to control his inhuman strength well. He gave Izzy a placemat and a box of crayons. Yep, the shack is like a second family to me and my kids.

"Order whatever you want, kids. It's all on me! One word, don't eat me out of business, boy," Daddy Joe tells them with a wink. He messes Andy's dark locks. Andy laughs. Daddy Joe is the one who taught Andy about his supernatural strength and helped him learn to control it. Daddy Joe kisses Izzy on the cheek. His long beard tickles her, but still no reaction. "I need to talk with your mother for a bit," Daddy Joe then tells the kids. He nods towards his office. I didn't worry about leaving them alone in the shack. Edna and Daryl both had their eyes on them.

I feel at home in the disorganized and cluttered office. Daddy Joe took his place on his wooden desk chair. I sat across from him. He takes my hand.

"Things seem to be looking up for you, honey child. The kids seem happy. Even my little bayou princess is opening up a bit. That vamper treating you good?"

"Better than most of the men in my life, except you, Daddy Joe," I said.

"Good. You know I have done my best to protect you, Belinda. I can't do that anymore. Doc says the leg is getting worse. Only a matter of time before he makes me use a walker or wheel chair. That vamper came to me. I thought you should know. Never did tell him about the kids. He probably knew what Andy was when he first met the kids, but Izzy…" I interrupted his train of thought.

"What about Izzy?" I ask.

"Honey child, you really haven't put two and two together with that girl? Have you?" he asks and I just shake my head. "Izzy has the gift. Most voodoo priest and priestesses don't even have the gift. Not like your girl's gift."

"The gift?"

"Vampers love the gift. The gift is special. The gift is also another name for psychic. Your little girl is like a human blood hound. Her gift is like no one else's that I know of. She is stronger than most. Probably the autism makes it that way, I suppose. Vampers love to use humans with the gift. They consider them property. I was hoping this Eric Northman would never find out about her. Izzy isn't made to be a part of the supernatural world like Andy is."

"Property? You mean like livestock?" I ask him. I don't like my little girl being thought of as a piece of meat. She is her own person, just as I am my own woman.

"Gifteds are a little higher up on the vamper's food chain. Livestock is the humans they like to keep around to feed on. Gifteds are more like an asset to them. Gives them some power to have a gifted around. Izzy would be the perfect gifted for a vamper, until she has one of her tantrums. They wouldn't change her like they do some. There is too much wrong with her. Plus she is far too young. The one thing that you find a curse might be the only thing protecting her," Daddy Joe explained.

"I don't think Eric would try to use her. Izzy seems to trust him," I said, although I felt a little different about the vampire now. My trust seems to have dwindled a bit.

"I suppose not. Izzy would know, but I'd still watch it, honey child. The North Man came to me one night. Seems he saw you working one night at that gentlemen's club. He found out that you were working for me. Clever vampers have a way of tracking people and the North Man is one of the cleverest. Most hunters were very stupid if they went after him. Only those with a death wish pursued him. They never came back. It is believed that he is from the Viking age and a chieftain's son," Daddy Joe explained.

"It's true. Izzy had some sort of visions the other morning. Ever since Eric gave her that doll, she talks about a little girl named Astrid. Izzy told me she lives in a cold place with a lot of snow. Eric talks all Scandinavian whenever he gets upset. The pieces are coming together now," I said. Daddy Joe just shook his head.

"Just watch out, baby girl. The first sign Izzy suspects anything, hightail it out of there. You know I will fight for you to my dying breath. I don't think the North Man means you any harm. The older the vamper, the less blood they need, but always keep it in your mind that he's a predator. A vamper doesn't think like we do. They loss their humanity the longer they walk this earth."

"I'll watch out, Daddy Joe. I promise you will be the first one to know if I do have to hightail it out of there," I said, giving him a small smile.

"I mean it, honey child. Most people seem to think I'm just a crazy old man that serves the best food in five parishes, but you know the truth. That's all that matters to me. Let that son of yours grow up too. He is going to have to get used to seeing things that normal boys can't even imagine," Daddy Joe said with a frown.

He hated that Andy was never going to be normal. To kill the wolf part of my son meant you had to totally kill my son. I can't have that. Being born a wolf is far different than being made into one. Daddy Joe and I both taught him how to be a gentleman. Izzy taught him patience. My boy is going to be a far cry from the wolves at The Full Moon. The Long Tooth Pack seemed like a group of normal people. Before last night, I never thought of werewolves in that light.

Daddy Joe and I decided the kids have been left alone long enough. We went back out to the dining area where Andy was eating a burger and fries. Izzy played around with her chicken fingers and my order of crawdad tails and Coke waited.

I put my bib on and was about ready to eat when I saw him walking through the front door. I'd never seen this man in the shack before. I'd seen him at Howl's Full Moon ten years ago. Anxiety hit me when I saw the tan skin and green eyes that reminded me so much of my son's. The man still knew how to wear a flannel shirt. The same messy dark hair covered his head. Tall and built like a linebacker. I put my head down and played off that everything was just peachy. I didn't want my kids picking up on my mood.

"I'm here to pick up an order," he tells Edna who was giving him an eye fuck. I did more than an eye fuck with this man.

"For who," Edna said in her flirtatious way.

"Alcide Hereaux," said the gruff thick voice. Oh boy, my day seems to be taking some unexpected turns!


	14. Chapter 14

'_Please don't look this way,_' ran through my thoughts. I manage to keep my head down while looking over at the counter. His tall frame leaning over the counter, his eyes looking at the menu board. God, I can't believe I ever fucked him. Fucked him without even knowing his name, this god of a man.

"Heveraux," Edna said as she brought out the two large bags. He couldn't possibly be eating all of that himself. Then I noticed his work boots.

"Yes," he said in that deep voice I remember so well. The kind of voice that makes you shiver.

"Here you go, sugar," Edna said in a flirty way. It wasn't often a good looking man came into the shack.

"Thanks," he said. He handed her his credit card. His nostrils flared like he picked up on a scent.

'_Please don't pick up our scent,_' ran through my thoughts. Last thing I needed today was getting confronted by my baby's daddy.

"Mmmmmm," escaped his throat. He was just smelling the food. I thanked my lucky stars.

"Here you go, Mr. Heveraux. I just need your John Hancock," Edna tells the man towering over her.

"I hear this place has good food. One of my men highly recommended it," he said. Making small talk. I thought of that bastard Harry again. He worked at Heveraux and Sons. I wondered if he was the one to recommend the shack? There's a thought. My two babies daddies working at the same place; having beers together after work or even Monday night poker? Stop thinking about all that Belinda and keep your head on your shoulders, Andy might pick up on it.

Alcide Heveraux gave Edna a smile before turning around to walk out the door. I exhaled and went back to my bucket of crawdad tails. Andy attacked his fries while Izzy gave me a blank look. She knows something, I can tell. I gave her that please be quiet and eat look. Izzy picked up on it and went back to playing with her last chicken finger.

After we were finished eating, Daddy Joe took Andy out back to a shed where the old man kept his underground arsenal. The shed looks like any ordinary shed until you pulled up the hidden floor. Underneath is every silver weapon ever made. Andy knew the basics, but has never seen the secret stash until today. Daddy Joe got my permission to take him down there. I stayed topside with Izzy. I had no desire to see the weapons, but Andy is old enough now. He is becoming a man and fast.

Izzy and I stayed inside the shack. Edna sat with us on her rare break. We talked over coffee while Izzy made work of a second placemat.

"They're sure getting big, Belinda. That Andy is sure going to be one fine looking man when he grows up," Edna tells me. "Kind of like that contractor guy that was in here earlier. Lordy! Did you take a look at that!"

"How could I not," I said, playing the role of ignorance.

"We don't ever get anything like that in here. I'm still a burning fire," Edna says, fanning herself.

"Where did he come from anyways?" I ask.

"Oh, some building they're working on close by. Wanda went out there the other day and gave them some flyers with a copy of the menu. I was very disappointed I had to work that day. She told me all about the hot, sweaty guys," Edna says and I laugh. Edna is old, but she will always be the perpetual horndog.

"Edna, you would be having hot flashes for weeks!"

"What you taking about, girl? I can't get them to stop! Mind you, it's hell getting old."

I laugh. Edna and Wanda are two of the funniest women I know. Both are older than I am and also five times hornier. I don't know how Wanda's husband does it? Being around Edna probably doesn't help his situation much. "Well, I better get back to work before Daryl starts bitching. You know how he is when you leave him alone too long," Edna then says.

I watched as she passes Sidney's table. She gives him a wink. Sidney seemed like he was almost jealous when Edna was talking to Alcide Heveraux. Alcide Heveraux, it took me ten years to get a name with the face and the body that gave me the most passionate night of my life. Well, passionate except for when he started talking about his girlfriend cheating on him with a guy who had the name of a female body part. At least I got a souvenir from that experience. One that I will always treasure.

I watch my daughter busy working on the plain white paper placemat. She is drawing stick people again. This time she drew a tall man with blond hair and fangs. He looked like he was flying above the little girl with her doll. Then I looked at the last placemat she drew on. This one had what looked like two black dogs. Even through her scribbled hands, I could tell that they weren't dogs but wolves. One is big and one is small. The big one looked like it was helping the small one. A big yellow circle above the two wolves. I flipped over the placemat to find another drawing. This one of two stick figures. Again the tall blond man with fangs. He was holding the other stick figure in his arms. Another blond, but this one a woman with what looked like a stake coming out of her. I have no intentions of throwing away Izzy's drawing, so I fold it up and put it in my purse.

Daddy Joe and Andy came back into the shack after an afternoon of God knows what? My guess is target practice. Andy seemed pretty pumped up like endorphins flowed through his blood. Daddy Joe looks like a proud grandpa. Andy loves spending time with the old man.

"Daddy Joe says I'm improving," Andy said in his excitement.

"Boy's got the best reflexes I've ever seen," Daddy Joe says. He gives me a wink. It was his way of telling me that I have one powerful little werewolf pup.

"That's awesome, sweetie. You ready to go home?" I ask. Andy nods. We say our goodbyes and head back to the house.

I pull into the drive to see a truck parked there. It was a home improvement truck. A couple of guys came around the house. They spotted my car. One of the guys handed me an envelope before loading up the truck and leaving. The envelope said my name in a handwriting that I am becoming very familiar with. Andy comes over to me, holding Izzy's hand.

"What is it, Mom?" Andy asks.

"I don't know? Looks like Eric Northman struck again," I said, looking at the envelope in my hand. I open up the envelope and yet another note inside.

_Belinda,_

_I have been reading up on your daughter's disorder after a long conversation with the half breed. She told me your daughter needs stimulation. She also told me that Isabelle enjoys the outdoors. Hopefully this will help with making the outside more interesting._

_-E-_

"It better not be a pool," Andy mumbles. Andy knows how much Isabelle hates deep water. She nearly drowned in the motel pool when she was three. If it wasn't for my son's speed and ability to swim, Izzy could have died. Since then, Andy watches her like a hawk. Andy would never let anyone or anything hurt his sister.

He walks towards the backyard with Izzy following. Monkey see, monkey do, that's how Izzy is around Andy, except if Eric is around.

"Mom! You got to come see this," Andy says as he throws open the gate. He let's Izzy go through first. Her little feet pumping into a run. Andy smiles. I go check out to see what Andy is seeing. There in the backyard sat a wooden play set with all the bells and whistles. It had a slide, two swings, monkey bars, and a club house that looks like a castle. Izzy smiles as she checks out her new play set.

"Look Mom! Look at what my friend gave me," Izzy says.

"Isn't that nice of him, baby," I respond. Then I look over at my son who is happy to see his sister is happy. "Looks like I'm going to have to get more paper to make more thank you cards with," I tell Andy. Andy just laughs. It certainly is nice seeing that my two kids are happy.


	15. Chapter 15

The smile on my little girl's face is worth working for the vampire. I watch as Andy pushes her on the swing. Andy is so careful with her. I still have some lingering doubts after my talk with Daddy Joe this afternoon. There has to be a reason for all this.

Izzy and Andy came into the house for a light supper. Bologna sandwiches and potato chips with sliced apple. Andy ended up eating three sandwiches. My boy can eat with the best of them. I suppose a growing werewolf pup eats more than an average boy.

Izzy goes to her room after our small supper. Instead of obsessing over her dolls, she takes out the drawing paper. Izzy never does stuff like this on her own. I just stand back and watch her. She lays on her stomach and starts going to work. Then she calls out for Andy. She calls his name out in her normal monotone voice. I wouldn't be able to hear her if I was in a different room, but Andy can. He smiles at me as he passes me. Andy is as pleased as I am with Izzy's recent progress.

"What do you need, Izzy?" He asks her. She looks up at him.

"I need your help with my thank you card to Eric," she says. Andy smiles down at her.

"Okay sis, what do you need?"

"Can you help me write nice words?"

"Izzy, you never have to ask me for that, you know I'll always help you," Andy says as he sits down Indian style across from her. Andy takes a blue crayon and writes down the words that Izzy request. Izzy watches Andy closely. Andy and Izzy may only be half siblings, but they do love each other wholly.

The doorbell chimes and I go to answer it. I'm almost knocked down by an overly excited five year old. Izzy waits at the door with a smile on her face. The dark sky tells me just who our visitor could be. Izzy held her card behind her back. Hiding it from view.

"Let me check first, sweetheart. We still have to watch ourselves," I tell her as I look through the peephole. I see the blond hair and pale skin that explains why my normally robotic daughter is acting unlike herself. I open the door and invite the vampire in. No sooner than Eric steps through the doorway, Izzy's little arms wrap around his legs in a tight hug. Eric smiles and reaches down to put his hand on her little blond head.

"I'm glad to see you too, Isabelle," Eric says as she lets go. He crouches down to her level. "Now you can give me a proper hug," Eric then tells her with a warm fatherly smile. Izzy wraps her little arms around his neck and Eric picks her up. Izzy laughs. Izzy hands him the little homemade card.

"This is for you, Eric. Thank you for my castle," she says.

"Thank you, my little Valkyrie. You made this for me?"

"Yes I did. Andy helped me."

Eric looks at the card. The front of the card had another picture of a yellow haired fanged smiley face. It said 'Thank you.' He opens the card and there is a little stick figure standing on the castle. 'for my shiny new castle. You are always welcome to come in.' Eric gives her a hug.

"I will cherish it, Isabelle. You deserve a castle," Eric tells her. Red rimmed his sparkling blue eyes. I quickly grabbed a tissue and discretely put it in his hand. Eric gives me a grateful nod for the gesture. I understand the whole never letting them see you cry thing. Strong people and vampires are not allowed to cry.

Eric puts Izzy back down. Izzy takes his hand and tries to pull him in the direction of the backdoor with all her might. The vampire is unmovable. Even a bodybuilder couldn't move Eric.

"Come on, Eric," Izzy says when she realizes he isn't going anywhere.

"I need to talk to your mother first, little one," Eric says to her.

Izzy's mood all the sudden changed. Tears formed in her eyes as she screamed. The autism showed it's ugly head and fast. Eric gave me a confused look. For centuries the vampire has probably possessed several humans and now a little five year old girl is laying claim to him. Later on, I found out that vampires like to do that with humans they like. They declare that person of limits to other vampires. Now a human child is declaring a vampire off limits. Bet that never happened before.

"Izzy, baby, please," I say to her. I take her hand and direct her to a chair. I sit down and pull her into my lap. Andy come out of his room. He looks up at Eric with that strange yellow glow around the rims of his green irises. I give Andy a mom look over Izzy's shoulder. The glow faded and he looks down at the ground. Eric puts a hand on Andy's shoulder and gives him an approving look. Eric is happy to see my son's protective side.

"Eric won't come play with me," Izzy cries.

"Shhhhhh. He will. He needs to talk to Mommy first is all," I whisper to Izzy. I hope the boss isn't angry with me for committing him to a play date.

I hold her until the tears subside. Izzy has gotten into a routine with Eric. He almost always gives her attention first. Tonight he broke that routine with wanting to talk to me. Izzy hates it when things change. Sometimes she can take it better than other times, but tonight wasn't one of those nights.

Eric crouches down in front of the chair. Izzy looked at him with sad tear filled blue eyes. She then turns her face into my chest. She is shutting herself off to Eric. Eric reaches a hand to her and Izzy stiffens up into my lap. He pets her sandy blond hair.

"No," Izzy tells him. Eric may have done his research on autism, but he has never really seen it first hand. He lets out a low growl and I shoot him a dirty look.

"She's a child. A different sort of child," I whisper to him.

"Come on, Eric," I hear Andy intervene. "Let Mom take care of it. She's not going to let you in right now."

I watch as Eric stands up and follows my son out of the room. Eric looks back at me with pity playing on his features. Andy takes him to the kitchen. I just rock my baby.

Izzy calmed down. I made her go to her room until she is completely chilled out. I go to the kitchen. I linger at the threshold for a moment. Eric and Andy sat at the kitchen table. Eric with a TrueBlood and Andy with a glass of milk. Andy is explaining to Eric about Izzy's autism.

"That's just Izzy. One minute she can be completely normal and the next she can be throwing a tantrum to end all tantrums. She can't help it. Izzy doesn't like to be confused," I heard my pup say.

"Confused? All I told her was that I wanted to talk to your mother," Eric said. Andy gives the vampire a small smile.

"You usually see Izzy first. Tonight you didn't do that. You wanted to talk to Mom first. You broke her routine. She must really like you if you become a part of her routine," Andy explains. He gives Eric another smile before taking a sip of his milk.

"I have read about these routines. Autistic people and children like to be kept on a schedule. Nothing is ever allowed to change. This is Isabelle's problem?"

"Yes. You see, Mom and I try our best to stick with the same routine everyday. Izzy doesn't take to change real well. That's why her room is always clean and her dolls kept in a neat row. If I go into her room right now and move one of those dolls less than an inch, Izzy acts like she just did for you. The problem is, you can't punish her. She doesn't understand. Her way of thinking doesn't work the same as you or I," Andy explains. My little lupine is always the understanding kind. He can be very patient for only being ten.

"I think I understand now. Is she going to be like this when your mother goes to work?" Eric asks.

"At first, but I think she likes Ms. Spark enough that I don't see her acting up. Hopefully she will be peaceful," Andy says.

"That is why I choose her. She has been known to tame the most unruly of children."

"Yeah, but I think she is way too perky. I don't even act like that when I've had too much sugar," Andy says and Eric laughs.

"Next time I have a talk with her, I'll tell her to leave you alone, Andrew. Besides, you will have your nights with the pack. That should be a good escape," Eric tells my boy.

"Andy. Call me Andy. I don't usually like to be called Andrew. My friends all call me Andy."

"Andy? Okay, I shall call you Andy then," Eric said.

I smile to myself. My little pup and my vampire boss have bonded.


	16. Chapter 16

**Thanks again for the reviews! I can feel your love! This chapter is for anyone that has read Dead Until Dark closely. Eric tells Sookie something shortly after he discover she is a telepath. This is a backstory to that simple sentence. I hope you all can figure it out?**

I joined Eric and Andy in the kitchen. I decided to make myself a cup of tea. Eric watches me as I do this. I'm not wearing anything particularly sexy. Just a blue flower print tank with my green hoodie and khaki cargo pants. My hair pulled back in a red curly messy ponytail and my outdated thick framed glasses.

"Is Isabelle going to be okay?" Andy asks. I get him a plate of chocolate chip cookies to go with his milk.

"She just needs to calm down a bit," I tell him. "She just needs a little space."

"I have read about this human disorder of autism, but I never expected it to be this bad," Eric says.

"No one really knows how bad it is until they have to live with someone with it, but Andy and I have learned to deal with it," I tell him. I pour the hot water into my cup. The scent of mint lingers in the air. I let the tea cool.

"Andy, you mind checking up on Izzy?" I ask my son. He nods and takes a cookie from the plate.

"Mind if I get her a glass of milk first?"

"No, not at all," I say. It warms my heart to know that Andy is always thinking of his sister. I watch him proudly as he does such a simple little gesture of love. He does so without being told. Eric gives me a smile as Andy walks by me, heading for the hallway.

"He is a good boy. I don't know what I would have ever done without him," I say to Eric. Eric gives me a thoughtful look as I sat down across from him. The tea taste so good and calming. Just what I need after one of Izzy's fits. In the past I would've resorted to something a little less healthy. Painkillers that weren't even prescribed to me. I don't miss popping pills for no good reason except just to get high.

"He is a very good child. You have raised him well," Eric says. He reaches over the table and takes my hand. I'm so unused of the feeling of cold dead flesh. Werewolves are quite the opposite. Even Andy's body temperature always ran a little warmer than mine or Izzy's.

"Thanks. Daddy Joe helped a little. I didn't have to deal with his uncontrolled strength. Daddy Joe was the one who told me to be honest with him and let him know that he was slightly different than other children. Izzy has even helped him stay gentle."

"You have every reason to be proud of him," Eric says and I blush. I really do have every reason to be proud of my pup. He's intelligent and sweet. He is the only man that I know of that will never leave me. "Daddy Joe helped me keep him safe," I said and sipped my tea.

"That is how you stayed undetected by the werewolves of this area. Most young Weres can't hide their strength, let alone their otherness. The hunter did good in teaching him," Eric said.

"I had enough of the Monroe Weres and Daddy Joe knew it. He is the one who helped me. He used to spend hours with Andy before my pup was old enough to go to school. Andy can pass for human real well. You wouldn't know he's a werewolf, unless you are like me and has spent time with the Weres," I explain.

"You were very lucky to find the hunter, just as I am lucky to have found you," Eric said. Now he is laying it on thick with a butter knife. The only time anyone lays it on like that is if they want something. I didn't get this far by being ignorant.

"What do you want, Eric?" I ask with a frown on my face. He gives me a smirk.

"I need you to come in tomorrow afternoon to receive a shipment. Ginger, the other woman you will be working with, screwed up on my last shipment. I need an intelligent human there for when the driver comes in. I don't want the same mistake to happen again," Eric explained.

"What happened? So I know as not to repeat this mistake."

"She accepted a couple crates of infant bottles instead of the shot glasses I ordered. She swore that she checked all the paperwork, but I don't believe her. My storeroom reeks of humans having sex," he said. Okay, now I know not to tumble in the hay at a vampire bar. This Ginger chick already sounds like a piece of work. Can't wait to meet her. "I can't punish her. She is very loyal, but…"

"Not much going on upstairs," I blurted out. Eric gave me a smirk.

"She is also rather tasty," Eric said, licking his lips. I just shake my head.

"I'll be there. Besides I owe you," I said, still laughing at the vampire.

"Good. I knew that I could count on you," He said, but there was more. I waited. "Ginger may come in even though I told her not to. Just give her a small job to do while you take care of the shipments. Keep her away from the storeroom. I can't have anymore distracted drivers coming in," he then said. I just shook my head.

"Not a problem, boss. Can I bring the kids with me?"

"No Belinda. Pam is still complaining that the bar still reeks of wolf child. You see, Pam doesn't like children or werewolves for that matter. She understands that Andrew is yours, but she still isn't too happy about it. I can't have Isabelle there either. She is too desirable to the wrong kind of vampire. I will summons Ms. Spark," Eric said. This vampire has control issues, but it still works to my benefit. It's probably not a good idea to bring Izzy into a supernatural establishment anyway. I can't let them track her.

"I'll be there with bells on then," I said. Eric gave me a funny look.

"I do not understand you modern humans and your strange expressions," he says and I laugh.

"Means I'll be there. What time is the truck coming?"

"Closer to evening than noon. Be there around four o'clock. Here are your keys," He said. He handed me a ring full of various keys. Someone had taken the time to label the important ones. That will save me some time. "I will leave you instructions by the time clock. You will be paid for this, so feel free to clock in. Make sure Ginger doesn't if she does come in. I have no intentions of paying her for being there when I don't need her."

"Got it," I said and pocketed the keys in one of the cargo pockets. I know I will have to be very careful with these keys.

"I also must tell you that there are two keys you will not have. The one to my office and one to the basement. Those areas of the bar are forbidden, except if I request you to be there."

"Check. I'll stay out," I said. Be honest, I really don't want anything to do with either of those areas. He has nothing to worry about there. That is if vampires can worry in their dead state.

Andy comes back into the kitchen with the empty milk glass. That is a somewhat good sign. Andy then put the cookie back on the plate. "She was just thirsty," he says, giving me a frown. I groan in frustration. Izzy wants to be difficult. "I tried to talk to her, but she just cried," Andy said. He looks to Eric. "She is afraid you'll leave us," Andy tells him.

Eric moved at his vampire speed. My eyes couldn't keep track of him when he did this. Andy knew where he went. I follow my son to Izzy's bedroom. Eric is crouched down to my daughters level. He did his best to put on a human face. Izzy sobbed. Andy at least managed to clean away the milk mustache she usually sports after drinking milk.

"Don't cry, Isabelle. Tell me what is wrong?" Eric asks her in a quiet compassionate voice.

"You are going to leave me, just like my daddy did," Izzy sobbed.

"No, no. I can never leave you, little one. I just needed to talk to your mother first," he tells her.

"But you didn't see me first. You always come see my dolls first," Izzy sobbed.

"I will always come see your dolls. Sometimes I have important things to tell your mother. I need to be able to tell her those things first and then I will spend my time with you," Eric said, giving her a smile. He pets my daughters long hair.

"I am little. I need my sleep. Mom needs me to go to bed early," she tells him. Eric takes a tissue and dries her tears away. He then takes her into his embrace.

"You remind me so much of what I have lost," he whispers to her. "I will never leave you, my little Valkyrie."

Andy looks at me with sad green eyes. He gives me a hug. I take in his scent. The wild scent is starting to overtake him. Any night now my little boy really will be my little pup. I feel the warmth of his embrace. If he was an average boy, I'd be checking him for a fever. That is just how warm a werewolf's body temperature is.

Next thing I know, I hear my little girl giggling as Eric picks her up. He tosses her in the air and catches her. Izzy squeals in delight. Eric holds her close. "I promise you, little one, I will chase your monsters away. I will never leave you. Even if your mother grows bored of working for me, I will never leave you," Eric tells her.

Andy and I walk away into the living room. Eric comes out of Izzy's room with Izzy sitting on his shoulders. It is quite a sight seeing an ancient vampire acting like a big child himself. A fanged smile formed on his lips. Izzy giggles as Eric takes her out the back door to the play set.

I watch from the back window as Eric pushed Izzy on a swing. She acted like that little girl I have always wanted. Lively and happy. Andy joins me and we both watched her and Eric for a moment.

"Mom, I have never seen her this happy before. I hope Eric can keep his word," he tells me.

"I hope so too, baby. Guess I'm stuck till retirement," I said as Andy and I decided to give Eric and Izzy their private time.

Andy and I sat in living room, watching T.V. Andy found a documentary on werewolf legends. It was quite interesting. Andy seems curious about all things werewolf these days. We even watched a nature documentary on wolves in the wild. Then all the sudden, Andy shot up out of his chair. His unnatural senses taking over. "Izzy is hurt," he said. I got up and Andy followed me to the back door.

I stood there wide eyed and wordless. Izzy lays on the ground with painful tears in her eyes. That wasn't what shocked me. What left me in shock was the vampire licking the blood from her scraped knee. He wasn't sucking her blood, just licking the wound. His saliva appeared to have stopped her bleeding. It was one of the most disturbing things I've ever seen. Even Izzy's tears started to dry up. Eric stopped licking the wound and looks into her eyes. "Is that better?" Eric asks her, giving her a disturbingly warm smile from his bloody lips.

"Better now," Izzy says in a quiet little voice.

"Good," he says and starts licking the blood from his lips.

A growl sounded from beside me. I forgot about Andy. The yellow glowed around his green irises again. This time the wolf seems to be making its appearances quicker than it has before. A mist formed around him. I finally woke myself up out of my daze.

"Andy," I yelled. It didn't stop the full change. The next thing I know, I'm yelling at a half grown black wolf pup. Andy must have understood because the wolf held its head low and tail between its legs. It whined like it did something wrong. It was not an it, the wolf is my little boy. For some strange reason, I wasn't afraid. I let the wolf lick my hand. The large head of the wolf then nuzzled my hand like a dog wanting my attention. Then Andy must have remember what had upset him. He looks to Eric again. Eric was back up on his feet with Izzy in his arms. The wolf growled, bearing fangs at Eric. The black fur on his back stood up on end. The yellow eyes glowed in the light of the backyard.

"Andy! No!" Izzy yelled at the wolf. "Eric didn't hurt me. I fell."

"Why were you licking my daughter?" I ask the vampire. Andy backed down a bit. He didn't want to hurt Izzy in his human form, I hoped his mind still worked the same in his wolf form.

"I was trying to help her heal. My saliva can stop blood flow," Eric explained.

"Next time, please let me know when she falls. I have band- aids in the house," was all I could say. I was still in shock over all this. Andy gave me a confused look or as confused of a look a wolf can give. Eric just gave me a smirk. A dribble of blood on his chin. I was still trying to take in the whole bizarre scene.


	17. Chapter 17

I needed to sit. I realized that my world is far from normal. Hell, I even accepted that fact a long time ago when Andy was born. Seeing it all come to life right in front of my eyes is overwhelming. I go back inside with a wolf pup roughly the size of a large dog and a six foot plus Viking holding my little psychic girl following me.

I collapse into the large plush couch. I take in the sight of the wolf in the light of the house. Fur black as midnight and yellow eyes. Paws still too big for the rest of his body just like a pre-adolescent boy. Andy's wolf form matched his human form. I've always known that Andy would be tall, but as a wolf I could see that he will be a big animal someday. Awkwardly growing into itself. Despite the fact that he is a wolf, there was something downright adorable about my pup. He licks my hand with a big pink tongue. I scratch behind his ears as if he were a dog.

Andy went to the linen closet and in his current state managed to open the door and grab a towel out with his teeth. He comes back and looks up at me with those yellow wolf's eyes. He whines for me to take the towel. I take the towel and lay it out next to me on the couch. Even in his current state, Andy knows just how much of a neat freak his dear old Mom can be. He jumps up on the couch, careful to sit on the towel. He is shaking. He is afraid. I just know he is. I give him a hug and Andy whines.

"It's okay, sweetie. We knew this night was coming," I tell him. He is crying in his wolf state. "Please, don't cry honey. You'll turn back."

I was completely unaware of the vampire and my daughter. Izzy yawns. She is having a hard time staying awake. Andy jumps off the couch. He went to where Izzy was standing. He licks her hand. Izzy smiles. "Yeah, I'm sleepy," she tells her wolf brother. The wolf nods his head towards the hall and Izzy follows Andy to her room. Izzy flips on the light switch while Andy goes to her bed and grabs her nightgown. I decided to intervene and I take the nightgown from Andy while Izzy takes off her jeans and sweatshirt. I pull the nightgown over Izzy's head. She puts her hands through the sleeves. Andy licks her cheek and Izzy giggles. Izzy pets the black wolf.

"It's a good thing she has never begged for a puppy," I tell Andy. He lets out a low growl. "Hey, I'm only kidding," I say and Andy lets out a yip. Wolves can't bark like a dog can. Andy wags his tail.

"Goodnight, Andy," Izzy said and then hugs the wolf. Andy licks her cheek again before Izzy climbs into her pink bed.

"Goodnight baby," I say to Izzy and I kiss her cheek.

Eric lingers in the doorway. I'm grateful he took the time to clean the blood from his chin. I don't know whether to trust him anymore? Izzy smiles at the vampire. It didn't seem to bother her to have Eric licking her knee.

"Thank you for taking care of my knee," she tells Eric. Eric glides into the room, almost as if he were floating. I didn't want to look down at his feet. I had enough supernatural overload for one night. "It feels better now," Izzy then says. Eric gives her that warm fatherly smile. A smile that I have a feeling is only reserved for my daughter. Eric sits on the edge of her bed. He takes her little hands into his.

"I could never hurt you, little one. You know this," he says as he pets her hair. He kisses her little hands. He playfully pops out his fangs and Izzy giggles. Eric puts them away and kisses her forehead. "Goodnight little one," he then tells her.

"Thank you for chasing away my monsters," Izzy says in a yawn. "I love you, Eric," she then says and hugs the vampire. She kisses his cheek before the blood started to flow from his eyes. Andy and I quickly left the room. Despite the horrifying scene from earlier, something deep inside me still trusted Eric but yet didn't at the same time. I know my puppy felt the same way even though he couldn't tell me at the moment. Andy's licks my hand and lets out a low whine.

I take Andy to the kitchen. He hasn't had the chance to hunt in his new form and werewolves have to eat. I find the roast in the refrigerator that I was thawing out for tomorrow night's supper. Since I'm going to be working at the bar tomorrow, I won't have time to cook the roast. I set the raw roast on a plate and set next to my pup. He sniffs it and then starts chewing on it. Werewolves have to eat to survive. Their metabolism runs as high as their temperatures. If I don't feed Andy now, I'm going to be dealing with a very hungry ten year old boy in the morning.

I need some space to breathe and Andy needs eat the roast. I decide to go back in the living room to sit for a spell. Overwhelming is the understatement of the night. Vampire licking my daughter's knee like some kind of an animal and then there is my son who literally is an animal at the moment. My autistic daughter is more than just autistic and then there is just plain old normal me. I could tell you one thing, I didn't sign up for this.

Andy comes to me with his trail wagging and his pink tongue out. He looks like one happy puppy. Guess he needed that roast. He jumps up on the couch, careful to stay on the towel. He lays his front paws and head over my lap. I start scratching his ears. The feel of course wolf fur under my hands. Andy's yellow eyes looking up at me and a groan of satisfaction from his snout.

"You are something else. You know that? I don't know what I'm going to do about you, Andy?" I kid with him. His ears perk up and he looks up at me. He bares his teeth in what looked like a smile. I laugh. I could also see that he is going to be one scary wolf when he gets older. I'm glad he is my son and not my enemy. I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of his bite. Andy lays his head back down. He yawns. I just keep on scratching his head.

Eric enters the room. He watches as I pet my little wolf. He gives me a smirk. There are blood spots on his powder blue v-neck t-shirt. His hair running past his shoulder in a free flowing curtain.

"I have never seen one turn so young," Eric finally says, breaking the silence.

"Leave it to my boy. Andy has always been ahead of the other kids his age," I said, giving Eric a small smile. I keep petting my wolf's head.

"He needs better control over it.""I know. I think he does too. I'm going to call Coronal Flood tomorrow."

"Good. They must know about this."

"Here soon, I'm going to have start him back up in school. I took him and Izzy out until we got settled in. I looked at the calendar and noticed Thanksgiving break is almost over with. Andy is going to have to go back Monday," I said. It was odd talking about something so trivial with a vampire.

"Your children need their education. Live your lives as you always do. The Long Tooth Pack will help with Andrew's needs," Eric tells me. I look down at the wolf on my lap. I don't know if Eric realizes that this could be easier said then done.

I reach down to pet Andy and realize that I am now running my hand through soft curly hair. I look down to see my naked son sleeping. I wasn't even aware of the magic. Andy laid on his side in the fetal position. I reach for the blanket on the back of the couch and lay it over him. I manage to slide out from under him without waking him.

I planned on just leaving him there until Eric picked him up off the couch, blanket and all. The vampire carried him to his bedroom. I pulled back the covers so Eric could lay him down. I grabbed Andy's boxers and slid them on. It's been years since I had to dress my son. He looks so peaceful in his near coma sleep. Being a werewolf takes a lot of energy and now Andy's seems to have been spent. I pull up his covers and kiss his forehead.

"Goodnight my pup," I whisper. Eric just takes it all in.

I shut his door and his light off. Eric stood next to me in the hallway again. The last time we stood like this, my dream almost came true. To have the touch and the feel of a man against my small frail frame. I don't care if Eric is a vampire and technically not alive. I want him to finish what his started, but he didn't. He looks down at me with those beautiful blue eyes of his. He gives me that smirk and then he says, "I should let you get your rest, Belinda. You have a busy day tomorrow." Then at his supernatural speed, he was gone. I heard the front door, but no car engine. I look out the front window out of curiosity to see that the only car out there was mine. I am never going to figure out these supernatural creatures.

I woke up sometime around noon. Despite the night Andy had last night, he still managed to get up with Izzy and got the both of them ready for the day. Surprisingly, Andy seems full of energy.

"I finally did it, Mom," he said in an excited way. "I'm truly a werewolf now."

"I know and you were just adorable," I say, kidding with my boy. He blushes and smiles.

I'm still not as happy about it as Andy is. If I had it my way, Andy would be a normal ten year old boy. I mess his hair and he gently slaps my hand away.

Izzy is in her room with her dolls on this rainy day. I watch her as she takes care of each and every doll. Then she picked up the spoon doll. A blank almost catatonic look crosses her face. Then she shuts her eyes. I watch as tears formed in her eyes and her mouth tightens into a frown. She didn't look like she is getting ready for one of her fits. She looks like she is actually weeping. Then she stops and puts the doll back in its place. Her feature went back to being neutral. The typical normal Izzy face. That was when I decided to make my appearance.

"How's my girl today?" I ask her.

"Astrid's Dad is missing. They can't find him. She is sad. She is crying with her brodirs. They are all sad. They have no modir or fadir anymore," she tells me.

"That is sad, sweetie," I tell her, unsure of what to say.

"He went out to find a new modir, but he never came back. Astrid is sad. The others went out to look for him and all that they could find was his horse," she says.

I have a strong feeling that Astrid's father is still alive, so to speak. Instead of Scandinavia, he is in Shreveport, Louisiana, getting ready to open a bar in little over a month. The world is sure in for something at the beginning of the new year. For some reason, Izzy has a gift of picking up the past by touching objects of importance. The doll is of importance to a certain vampire I know. I dare not touch it. Izzy will know if I do.


	18. Chapter 18

I found myself driving to Fangtasia. I hope to hell that Ginger chick doesn't decide to show up. I want to get myself familiar with my new workplace. I pull into the parking lot. There has been more progress to the renovation since I've last seen the place. A blood red awning covered the front entrance of the gray concrete building. I unlock the black padded door with the 'Opening Soon' sign hanging from it. There is no sign to give the establishment's name. I suspect that will be the last thing to go up.

I enter the dark windowless bar. I turn on the lights to see that the inside is almost complete. Blood red paint covers the walls with iron skull light fixtures. Concrete floor and the typical generic bar furnishings. Artwork leaning up against the walls waiting to be hanged in their proper locations. Most of the 'artwork' is mostly posters from old vampire movies. Dracula, Dracula's Daughter, The Lost Boys and I laughed my ass of when I saw the poster for Blackula. The bar is waiting to be stocked with the liquor that today's driver is probably bringing.

I make my way towards the back of the bar where I found the time clock and my time card in the holder. Mine is the only one along with an envelope. I punch in and take the envelope. I hear the sound of heels on the concrete floor. I go to round my way out to the bar where I'm stopped by a woman even more frail than myself. Bleach blond hair, black tube top, blood red mini skirt showing off her boney knees and six inch platforms. Gaudy costume necklaces and bangle bracelets cover her scrawny arms. She has a cigarette hanging from her red, red lips. She has fang marks on her neck and forearms along with a rose tattoo on her upper arm.

"Hi! You must be the new girl. I'm Ginger," she said in a friendly enough way. "The Master told me you were coming in. I thought I would come by and give you a hand."

"Yes I am the new girl. My name is Belinda," I said, holding out my hand. Ginger takes it and shakes it. I watched out for her severe manicure.

"Nice to meet ya! They are really nice people here. I like it here. The Master is a good man," she says. I can already see that there is not much going on upstairs. She stares at me for a moment with a goofy smile. Yeah, I'm in for a treat with this one.

I came in a little earlier than expected so I can make my phone call to Coronal Flood. I didn't want Andy to overhear anything and he would too. Especially now since he made his full transformation into a wolf. I have Ginger clean the bar area while I stay in the back to make my phone call. She didn't seem too happy that I didn't want her with me for when the driver comes in. I speed dialed the number in my new cell that Eric gave me. A red phone case with Fangtasia in black script. The phone is meant for business and private use. The phone rings two times before I hear a gruff voice say, "Hello, Coronal John Flood here."

"Hello, Coronal Flood this is Belinda Harrison. Andrew's Mom," I said.

"Oh, Miss Harrison. Nice to hear from you. How is Andrew getting along?"

"He had his full transformation last night," I said and there is a long silence.

"It's not a full moon yet and he is still pretty young. How did this happen? Are you and your daughter all right?"

"Isabelle and I are just fine. He was pretty docile and frightened by the whole experience. He didn't get to hunt, so I gave him some raw meat from the fridge. It was an emotional trigger that caused it," I explained.

"I'm glad you have knowledge in werewolf behavior, Miss Harrison. You did the right thing in feeding him. All new Weres are usually afraid at first. I only wish that the pack could have been there to help him. Was someone harming you or your daughter?" Coronal Flood asked. I didn't want to tell him the truth. Werewolves and vampires don't already have the best of supernatural relations going on. I don't know if this man knows about the whole vampire saliva thing. I didn't want to throw Eric under the bus with the werewolves either. I breathe in for a moment and exhale.

"Mr. Northman may have unintentionally upset my son last night. He didn't mean to. You see, my daughter hurt herself on her new play set and Mr. Northman assisted her by licking her wound. Andy wasn't aware of what he was doing," I said and then there was a long silence.

"You let the vampire touch your daughter?" He asks in a not so happy tone.

"She considers him a friend. Mr. Northman was only helping. I wasn't nearby," I said, doing my best to keep my calm.

"No wonder your son was so upset. I would never allow my children near vampires," he said in a way that sounding accusing. The werewolf on the other end of this line is really pissing me off.

"They are not your children, they are _mine! _If I ask for any parenting advice, I'll be sure to let you know! My daughter is special and if she trust Mr. Northman, that is all I need," I told him.

"I'm sorry I've upset you, Miss Harrison. I am just stating a fact. Vampires are very dangerous creatures."

"Werewolves are dangerous creatures too, but you don't see me disowning my son for it! Mr. Northman has been nothing but a gentleman since he's came into my life unlike that werewolf I used to work for," I said, still pissed off.

"You have a point, Miss Harrison."

"Damn straight I have a point! Don't make me out like I'm a bad mother!"

"If you please calm down, Miss Harrison. I'll tell you what we can do for Andrew," he tells me in a calm voice.

"Okay. I'm calm," I said. I need to realize that I called this man for my son. This has nothing to do with my parenting skills.

"I have appointed your son a mentor. It's Jackson's son. You met Jackson at the pack meeting, but his son wasn't there. I have a feeling that Andrew will like him. Of course you will get to meet him too. He will come by your place tomorrow afternoon so that Andrew may get acquainted with his new mentor," he tells me. Alcide Heveraux. Something tells me that it was going to be him. Talk about anxiety overload.

"Okay. Look, I got to go. I got a truck coming," I lied, ending the phone call.

I snapped my phone shut and found the restroom. I bowed to the porcelain god. My nerves a mess as I vomited. I am in severe need of a Vicodin.

"You okay in there?" I hear Ginger ask me through the door. I managed to swallow.

"Just having a moment," I yelled through the door.

"Oh! Alright! Let me know if you need anything," Ginger yelled back. She probably thought I am in here shooting up or smoking a joint. Something I used to do once upon a time. I never thought I would ever be sober in a public restroom just puking my guts out because of my nerves. I thought about asking to see if Ginger had anything I could self medicate myself with. Make the pain go away. Then I thought about Andy and Izzy. They would be very disappointed in me if I did something like that. I promised myself before Andy was born that I would never do anything like that ever again. I can't break that promise. I decided to clean myself up and take it like the tough southern belle I am. That is exactly what I did too.

I walk back out into the bar area. Ginger is one hell of a housekeeper. The black table tops gleamed of cleanliness as well as the vinyl chairs and booths. She hammered away quite literally as she hung up the posters and artwork. She hung the Interview With The Vampire poster and stood back to make sure it was straight. She pondered over the placement and obsessed over the poster's straightness.

"Not a huge fan of this one. The book's better. If that's what The Master wants," she mumbled to herself. Needless to say, it surprises me that someone like Ginger reads. I smile at her and she smiles back. "The Master told me that you are sort going to be my boss. He told me that you are head server."

"That's what he told me," was all I could say.

"You seem like your going to be a nice boss. The Master must think so too. You can't be as bad as my last boss. She was a grade A bitch. Have you met Pam or Clancy yet?"

"I've met Pam in passing, but I don't know of Clancy?"

"They are going to run the place whenever The Master is called away. You know how vampires are. They have a lot of business," Ginger tells me. I'm curious of the other vampires now. "That Clancy is something else. I never thought I would ever find a red head attractive. You know, they're all pale and freck… Oh! I didn't mean you. I'm so sorry. I have a bad habit of putting my foot in my mouth."

I laugh and I let Ginger know that I wasn't offended. Vampires and gingers like myself have one thing in common, the sun doesn't like us much.

I go to the back where the driver waited at the back door. A man with a really bad mullet and cigarette breath helped me move all the boxes of liquor. He kept giving me an eye fuck. Sorry buddy, I'm not Ginger. It was a good thing I dressed conservatively in a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt.

"Where's Ginger?" He asks me.

"She's not here," I lied and disappointment crossed the driver's face. I signed the paperwork after I double checked everything.

"See ya around, ma'am," he said, leaving without his tip. I wasn't about ready to fuck that bastard. Ginger came into the storeroom.

"Aww, I missed Duane," she says with a frown.

"Sorry. He had to get to his next delivery," I lie to her too. I just didn't want him here any longer than he needed to be. I have a feeling that the driver's casual behavior will change after he finds out he has been delivering goods to a vampire establishment. I remember Howl never allowed his drivers anywhere near us. One time, one of the delivery drivers mysteriously had an accident when he tried to get fresh with one of my co-workers. Needless to say that was his last delivery ever.

I spent the rest of my time stocking the shelves in the stockroom. I put everything in alphabetical order. I am the queen of order. I made sure everything is accessible and quick to get to. Once the bar opens and gets into full swing, no one has time to go searching for everything. I laughed when I found the boxes of baby bottles. Hopefully a pick up driver will come get these before the place opens. I didn't finish until everything was satisfactory.

I make my way back to the bar area after I make sure the backdoor is locked. Ginger had all the pictures hung. I should stock the bar. I decide to take a break. Ginger joined me. Might as well get to know my co-worker a little better. I wonder if Eric has hired more human workers?

"Are you the only other waitress?" I ask her.

"Oh, heaven's no! He hired a few other girls. They're just not as dedicated as you or I," Ginger says.

"Ginger! What are you doing here? I told you not to come," a masculine voice from behind me said. Ginger put her head down like a scolded puppy.

"Sorry Master. I thought Belinda could use my help," Ginger said in a quiet tone. The nerve of him, I thought to myself. This woman worked for free! She hung up his stupid posters and cleaned his bar spotless! I took off my glasses and stood up out of the booth. I looked in the direction his voice came from.

"She was a big help! Don't you see all the work she has done?" I got up the nerve to say. There was no way in hell I was going to address him as Master! He can kiss my ass for all I care!

Eric glided up to me at vampire speed. The blur appeared to have an amused smirk. It's probably not often that anyone gets the balls to speak up to Eric Northman. I held my glasses tight in my hand.

"I see all the work our Ginger here has done, Miss Harrison. It was very kind of her to have done it," he said in a calm voice. I felt his cold hand reach for mine. The hand with the glasses in them. "I do appreciate the work," he then said as he worked my glasses out of my hand. I shake with fear as he slides my glasses on my nose.

He looks to Ginger. She locks into his gaze. "You were never here. Go home and forget about everything you did this afternoon. Don't come back until I say so," he said to her in a suggestive way. I looked over and saw three vampires standing in the shadows of the bar, watching Eric.

"I will go now," Ginger says in a dazed way.

"That is right. You will go now. You went to get your hair and nails done," Eric says as he looks down at the fierce manicure.

"Yes, I went to get pampered. It felt good," Ginger then says. She grabs her purse and keys. She exits the bar without one word.

Eric then looks at me. I didn't feel a blackout or anything. He just looks at me.

"What about that one," a snaky female voice asks.

"This one is not to be glamoured. I will punish any vampire I catch glamouring this one," Eric says, keeping his gaze locked on me. His fangs popped out. I still shake with fear.

"Come on, Eric! What fun is it not using glamour on a human," said a male voice. The vampire stepped out from the shadows. Red curly hair and green eyes. Dressed in khakis pants and a green dress shirt. Fangs out. This must be the infamous Clancy.

"I have my reasons," Eric answered the vampire without turning his gaze off of me. "That is an order. Pass the word on to the others!"

"Yes Eric," all three vampires answered.

"Now Belinda, I need you to go back to whatever you were doing. Longshadow, Pam, Clancy and I have much to discuss," Eric says to me. I manage my composure. I felt like I was standing in a pit of cobras.

"Yes Master," I answer with a bow of my head. Eric watches as I head to the bar and start stocking the shelves. He gives me a slight half assed smile. Guess he had to put on a show in front of the other vampires? I have to get used to this.

Pam followed behind Eric with a Native American vampire following her and then there was Clancy. Staring at my tits and ass with a predatory glare. He licks his fangs. Guess I'm going to have to be on the look out for that one, although Native American gives me the willies too. What the hell did I get myself into?


	19. Chapter 19

I whistle and hum to try to get my nerves calm. I go about stocking the bar. One fridge for liquid libation and the other fridge is stocked up with varying brands of synthetic blood. It amazes me the many brands that the vampires have come up with. I fill it up according to the written instructions Eric left me. Just like liquor, the blood has many grades. The cheapest on the bottom and the most expensive on the top of the glass front refrigerator. I didn't even want to know what the vampires were discussing back in Eric's office.

Longshadow and Clancy came out to the bar area. Eric and Pam must have other things to discuss. I didn't feel too comfortable being around these two without Eric close by. Longshadow came around the bar and inspected my work.

"Very good work, human. Everything is how it should be," the Indian said with a fangy intimidating smile. I look down at the floor and did my best not to look him in the eyes. If I said he didn't frighten me would be a lie.

Clancy inspected the seating area and the dance floor. He obsessed over the posters, much like Ginger did earlier. Once in a while turning my way to give me that predatory glance.

"I don't know what Eric sees in you, but I intend to find out," Clancy hisses in my direction. Longshadow laughed. His midnight hair falling against his strong tattooed shoulders. His dark eyes locking with mine. These two don't seem to take orders real well. I feel my mind drift before I have the chance to take off my glasses.

Next thing I know, I hear an inhuman growl. Longshadow unlocks his gaze on me and smiles at the visitor who just came into the front door. My back to the door, I hear the growl that sounds so much like my sons. "Alcide," Longshadow says in a faux friendly tone. Oh shit! I manage to act like I was stocking the lower shelve of the liquor cabinet. "So good to see you," Longshadow then says.

"I'm here to see Eric," the gruff voice said. I did my best not to look. I didn't want to be recognized.

"He is in his office with his progeny at the moment. You know, all business with the impending revelation," Clancy tells the werewolf.

"I'll wait," Alcide tell the creepy vampire.

"As you wish. Don't expect us to get you anything, fleabag," Longshadow says. Alcide growls.

I hear a chair pull out from one of the tables. I peek over the bar to see Alcide in all his hotness, sitting with his arms crossed. The werewolf seems about as comfortable with his surrounding as I do, which isn't very.

I sighed in relief when I heard the office door open. Pam glided out into the bar on her designer heels. She gives Alcide a smirk. I wonder if she knows? She stood in front of his table dressed in a cable knit sweater and khakis. A powder blue hair band in her curly blond locks. A modern day Alice in Wonderland would best describe her. She looks too young to be in a bar, much less co-own it.

"Eric will see you now," she says to Alcide in a slight English accent. I watch as Alcide follows Pam to Eric's office.

I work on stocking some more as Longshadow watches me. Both Longshadow and Clancy watch me with their predatory eyes. Clancy's fangs pop out. I do my best to ignore them. Pam glides back out into the bar. She arcs her eyebrow at the two predatory male vampires. I felt like a piece of cheese stuck in a mousetrap. She pretends to clear her throat.

"Remember what our Master has told us. Miss Harrison is our human emissary," Pam tells the boys.

"Emissary my ass. She looks poor for a human," Longshadow says. The vampires talk like I'm not there.

"We are to observe, if we are suppose to assimilate ourselves into the human population. Miss Harrison is a typical average human from what our Master has observed," Pam explained. Eric never told me anything about being an emissary.

"Why couldn't he just bring in a baby vampire to teach us?" Clancy asks.

"You know how unpredictable youth can be. Besides the babies are still trying to assimilate themselves into our world. Observing a human is the best way to learn. That is what the Master feels. Out of all the humans he has hired, Miss Harrison seems to be the most grounded to him," Pam tells the gruesome twosome. Clancy snorts and Longshadow just keeps staring at me from his place behind the bar.

The door opens to Eric's office again. I decide the shelves below the bar could be better organized. I hide myself from view. Longshadow tears his dark gaze from me and looks toward Eric's office. He bows. It's amazing how well the vampires act when the boss vamp is around. He leaves the back of bar and I am grateful. I was about ready to shatter a few bottle of liquor out of my fear. Then I felt another presence at my back. I shake and pause. I fight temptation to crawl up under the bar in the fetal position. I look over my shoulder to see a pair of men's size thirteen black boots and dark wash jeans. Eric crouches down to my level. He gives me that smile that I thought was only for my daughter. Out of all the vampires in the room, Eric is the most human acting. I'm still as fearful of him as I am the others and I think he can sense that. His blue eyes twinkle as he gives me that warm, sweet smile.

"Belinda, I think the bar looks well organized. Particularly this lower shelf area. You have done an excellent job here. I need you to come to my office with me now," he spoke in a calm and kind way. The way a father would talk to his children kind of way, instead of a big bad Viking vampire way.

"You have Andy's dad in there. I don't think I'm ready to face him," I whisper. Tears fill my eyes. I sit on the cold concrete floor in a near fetal position. Eric reaches out and takes my warm hand into his cold one. "How long have you known?" I finally ask. Eric's face now gives me a small but sad smile.

"The night I came to your motel room, I had my…suspicions. Your son looked and smelled so familiar to me. I have been doing business with The Long Tooth pack for some time now. Particularly with the senior Heveraux. You cannot deny the resemblance," Eric whispers to me, giving me the illusions that the other vampires in the room can't hear us, but I know better.

"Why here? Why now?"

"Coronal Flood has told me of his choice for Andrew's mentor. It is better that you face him now instead of at your home tomorrow afternoon."

"Izzy knows. I saw him the other day at Daddy Joe's. Izzy must've picked up on him somehow," I say. Eric gives me a smirk. Eric has been feeding her 'gift'. I hoped to hell that he never decides to use her.

"All the more reason to meet with him now," Eric whispers as he helps me to my feet.

"Let's get this over with," I tell him. Eric nods.

Eric touches the small of my back as he guides me to my doom. I dreaded this and the vampire knew it. "Be strong, Belinda. This is not just for you, but your son as well. Think of him. You told me that you wanted to know who his father is," Eric whispers to me. I pull a tissue out of my jeans pocket and wipe the tears from my eyes. I then clean of the mess from my lenses. It sucks to cry when you have four eyes. I breathe in and exhale. Eric stops me in front of his office door. "I promise that I will just be right outside. If Mr. Heveraux tries to harm you in any way, I'll be right in there. I feel it is best you meet him alone. I have not told him anything about you or Andrew. That is not my place," he says and kisses my forehead. I didn't want to let go of his hand and I definitely didn't want to go into that office, but a girl's got to do what a girl's got to do. Especially if her ten year old son is involved. So I open the door and he looks up at me from his chair with wide green eyes.


	20. Chapter 20

"You," Alcide says in that deep voice.

"You" I respond. I felt like passing out. I had to deal with this. Eric is right about one thing, I needed to do this tonight.

"What the fuck! So Northman dug up an old indiscretion to get me to do his bidding," he said in a cold way.

"Excuse me," I answered in an irritable tone. Alcide let out a small laugh.

"He's not going to blackmail me this time. I'm sorry he pulled you into his shit," Alcide said as he got up out of the chair. God, I never realized just how big of a man he is and a sexy one at that. I shake my head and still can't believe I ever nailed that. I watch him as he made his way to the door. I clear my throat.

"I don't think he called you here to blackmail you," I said in a quiet and shy way. He paused and looks in my direction.

"This has to be a joke, Miss. You seem to be the butt of this sick joke. Northman is known for his sick humor. If you are smart, you will leave this place and not look back. Vampires are nothing like us," Alcide said as he put his large hands on my shoulders.

"Not like me. You are different," I said. Alcide gave me those wide eyes again. "You're a werewolf. Not completely human."

"How do you know?" Alcide asks. He is standing a few inches in front of me. Looking down at me with those familiar green eyes. The same green eyes I've seen everyday for the past ten years, although they are the green eyes of a sweet little boy.

"It's not hard to know a werewolf when you've been around them. You do remember where you first seen me?"

"That trashy Were bar in Monroe? I remember you now," Alcide said, very unsure of himself.

"You're Alcide Heveraux," I said.

"How do you know? I never gave you my name?"

"I've seen your picture in the newspaper," I lied.

"Yeah, Dad thinks it makes good publicity for our business," he tells me, giving me a glimpse of what my son is going to look like someday. "What's your name anyway?"

"Belinda," I said. There was no way in hell I was going to give him my last name.

"Well Belinda, how did you end up working in that trashy Were bar anyway? You seem like a nice enough girl," he said, giving me that smile again. The sleeve of my hoodie rode up, revealing the track scares. Alcide's smile falls into a frown. I look down in shame.

"Not quite a good girl. I made my share of mistakes," I said as I nervously pulled down the sleeve. "I don't do those things anymore. I haven't in years," I then said shyly.

"I'm sorry. I didn't…"

"Know. Nobody does until they see those. Most people think I'm a sweetheart. There was never really anything sweet about me," I said. I felt the tears in my eyes. Alcide stood quiet for a moment.

"You were different from the others that night. You weren't even trying."

"I had no interest in anyone that came into that horrible place. I don't know why I ever stayed there," I sobbed. Alcide touched my cheek and lifted my face until our eyes met.

"I broke up with Debbie. She met some bastard at Lou Pine's when I took her with me to Jackson. I needed a release and I heard about the Were bar in Monroe. I didn't know the place was trash. Then I spotted a mousy little red headed waitress. She looked like she didn't belong there. Even in her short shorts and halter top…she didn't belong," he said to me as he leaned in closer.

"When I think of werewolves, I think of dirty bikers. Then I saw you. You weren't like any Were that I've ever met before," I whispered, still fighting my tears.

"That was what? Seven, eight years ago? My only regret was that I never got to know your name. I felt bad that I left you in that dirty motel room. I'm really not that kind of man," he tells me. Sadness fills his green eyes. The eyes that would usually compel me to hug my son. I restrain. I don't know Alcide Heveraux that well.

"I was looking for a fuck anyway," I said bluntly. I still had tears in my eyes. "I used to be that sort of woman. I'm not going to lie to you. I didn't even want to know your name. It was ten years ago and I didn't want to know your name until….," I trailed of in a full blown cry. I felt his strong arm snake around me. He sat me down on the couch in Eric's office. The smell of nice new leather filled my nose. Alcide looks around for a box of tissues. I felt around for the security of my cigarette case in my hoodie pocket. I know better than to smoke in here. It wasn't just the cigarette case that gave me security, but the pictures of my children I carried around with me in that case. The two sweet creatures that kept me grounded.

Alcide didn't find any tissues, but he did find a bar rag. A poor substitute , but it'll do. I blot the tears from my eyes. I don't know how I'm going to tell this man that I barely know that he has a son. A son that wasn't born from another Were. I know the importance of that to the Were community.

"It really was ten years ago?" He asks. I nodded. "Jesus Belinda, that is a long time for Northman to be dredging you up out of my past. I wonder what his game is?"

"He wasn't the one that was looking for you," I sobbed. Alcide looks confused.

"You? Why?" I didn't want to answer him but I had to. My boy depended on it.

"I don't know how to tell you this. You gave me the best gift anyone has ever given me," I tried to speak calmly.

"Are you taking this where I think your going with it?" He asks, giving me a suspicious glance. Tears filled my eyes again. I hate appearing weak. I pull Andy's school picture out of my cigarette case. I hand the picture to Alcide. Alcide's green eyes widened. Guess he can't deny the resemblance?

"His name is Andy and he's ten. He is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I don't expect you to help me or anything. He wants to know who his father is. He understands if his father doesn't wish to meet him, but he would like to at least have a name on his birth certificate on the blank line where his father's name should be," I managed to say before breaking down once again. Alcide looks at me, completely wordless and unsure of what to say. He didn't try to comfort me either. I didn't need him to comfort me anyway.

"He's ten," Alcide muttered. "He looks like me, but he has your smile," he then says. I look at him with my teary eyes. I never thought Andy had any of my features. I always thought he looked like his nameless father. A man I finally have a name to.

"I always thought he was all you," I responded. Alcide gave me a small sober smile.

"No, that is definitely your smile. Is this the orphan pup I'm suppose to meet with tomorrow?"

"Andy is no orphan. He has a mother that loves him dearly. He even has a half sister that he loves dearly. Mr. Heveraux, my pup is no orphan," I said, a little ticked off by the orphan comment.

"I'm sorry Belinda. I don't mean orphan in the same sense as you do. It is his wolf that is the orphan. That is what we call pups that don't have an elder Were to help them. Sometimes this happens. A Were can be born from one part Were and one part human. If something happens to the elder Were, the pup is considered an orphan," Alcide explained.

"I guess that makes sense. I have some knowledge of werewolves, but not enough to help my boy."

"This is going to piss Debbie off," he mumbles.

"Look, no one has to know. As I said before, I don't want your help and I understand if you don't want anything to do with him. I've gotten along alright so far," I said.

"No, no. It takes two to tango, but I can get another Were assigned to be his mentor if that is what you want. I would like to at least meet him," Alcide says, giving me sad eyes.

"I think you being his mentor is a good thing. It is a good way for you to get to know him, if that is what you want. We can also do a DNA test too. You know, just to make sure," I suggested.

"I don't think there is a need for a DNA test. If I recognize his scent as my own, there will be no need for test," he tells me. I wonder if the other Weres will pick up on Andy too?

"Will the others know? We can't hide who Andy is."

"He is pack now. The pack keeps secrets," he said. Now Alcide looks directly at me. He gives me a smile. A smile that attracted me to him that night so many years ago. "Although, I am going to have to explain this to my old man. He is not going to be too happy about this."

I smile, remembering the comment Jackson made about Andy that night at the pack meeting.

"The old man already met Andy," Alcide mumbles. "He likes the boy. He told me all about him. He is going to be disappointed with me."

"It take two to tango," I say to Alcide. He gives me a smile.

"You're one tough lady, Belinda. Too bad I'm seeing Debbie again. I'd like to get to know you, but Debbie can be a bit jealous."

"You took her back! Even after she cheated on you," I said in an accusing tone.

"She promised me that Cooter was a passing thing. She's been good on her word since," he said as he looks away.

"Cooter! She had sex with a man named Cooter! What kind of asshole would want to be called Cooter anyway," I said with a laugh. Alcide gives me a hurt look. "Hey! I'm sorry. It's just that…."

"I know," he said with a playful smile. "That's a ridiculous name."

"I don't get it. Why would she screw around on such a sweet man as yourself. I'm not dogging on your woman or anything, but my God! Look at you," I said and he blushed. "I can't even figure out what you ever saw in me?"

Alcide stood up in front of me. He looks down at me with those green eyes. His hand comes up and he touches my freckled cheek. His tan skin the complete opposite to my pale freckled skin.

"You are more beautiful now than you were when I first met you," he says as I go weak in the knees. His warm palm against my face. "I'm serious," he whispers. I want to feel his lips against mine once more, but I know now that Alcide isn't a cheater.

"Why the revenge sex than?" I ask him. His brows knit together.

"I was young, stupid, and angry. I didn't know it would lead to this. I'm sorry, Belinda," he said.

"I was young, stupid, and angry too. I should've known better. I accept your apology, if you accept mine," I said, giving him a small somber smile. I reach up and pull a stray lock of hair from his face. Even the texture of the one lock of hair is the same as Andy's. He grabs my hand and holds it.

"I accept," he whispers and kisses my forehead.

Alcide left me alone in my vampire boss's office. I stand there in silence, thinking about what just happened. Eric enters.

"Are you alright, Belinda?" He asks me. I didn't know how to answer him, so I decide to cry instead.


	21. Chapter 21

Eric took my car keys from my purse. I just stood there, crying. Pam gives me a distraught look.

"Why is she leaking? I hate it when they leak," Pam said with a grimace.

"Pam," Eric said in a loud tone.

"Oh alright. I'll never understand you, Eric. We should never make ourselves known to the humans," Pam mumbled as she stomped out of the office. I collapsed back down onto the couch. I pull off my dirty glasses and bury my head into my hands. I feel like scum. I wonder if Alcide feels the same way I do. Eric sits next to me. I feel his strong arms enveloping me. He pulls me into him. I feel his fingers run through my course red hair. I bury myself into his chest.

"I can't let them see you like this," Eric whispers. I know he didn't mean the vampires out in the bar area. "You have to be strong for them, especially Andrew. I am going to take you home and you are going to have to tell him."

I nodded. "I know," I chocked out. Boy, did I know.

"You made a mistake and now you must own up to it."

"Andy is no mistake. He's my happy accident," I sob out and Eric smiles.

"That he is, Belinda. That he is," he whispers, trying his best to soothe me. I could tell that the big blur that is Eric is quite uncomfortable around human emotions, but he was doing his best to calm me.

I get my composure and Eric leads me out the back way. Good, no creepy vampires to deal with. He walks me to the Beetle and opens the passenger door for me. I still sob as I sit in the seat and Eric gently shuts the door. I watch from the front window as he pulls out his Blackberry to make a call. My guess would be Pam since he didn't tell his vampire buddies in the bar where he was going. I just do my best to control my tears. Telling Andy who his father is will be harder than I thought. How I wish Alcide wasn't seeing that Debbie bitch. Not that I want a knight in shining armor or anything.

Eric puts the phone away and goes to the driver's side of the small car. I shiver from the coldness of the air as he opens the door. He adjust the seat back before folding himself into the compact car. He adjust the seat some more and turns on the heat for me. He turns to look at me before putting the car in drive.

"Pam told me that you did your job well today. You did everything exactly how it should be done. I just hope your work ethic rubs of on the other girls I hired," he says, trying to get my mind off of Alcide.

"I try," I said in a quiet tone. Eric takes my hand and kisses it. I shiver from more than just the cold now.

"Perhaps I shall reward you. Not tonight. Tonight you must tell your son the truth," he says. I wonder what kind of reward Eric plans on giving me? A bonus? Another week off? I seriously doubt that!

My mind isn't on my loneliness, my mind is on my son. Thoughts raced through my head about the best way of telling him. Andy deserves this and needs this. I can't let my feelings and libido get in the way.

"Just tell him the truth. What is that thing the humans say about honesty?" Eric asks.

"Honesty is the best policy," I mumble.

"That's it! I find that the truth always works best. That is how I have survived for so long," Eric says, glancing at me with a small smile.

"The truth shall set you free," I mumble. Eric lets out a laugh.

"You humans and your silly expressions."

"Yeah, sometimes I think whoever came up with those is full of donkey shit," I said and a smile lights up Eric's handsome face. He takes my hand and squeezes it gently. A shiver ran down my spine. God, I'm horny.

Eric pulls into the driveway. The lights in the house are all off. The only occupants are my two sleeping kids. I hated that Ms. Spark always disappeared before we pulled into the drive. I always like to talk to my sitters to see how everything went.

I flip on the living room light after I enter the house. Eric follows me.

"I'll check up on Isabelle," he tells me and I just nod. I find a note on the foyer table. Written in fat cursive writing and heart dotting the i's. Augustine Spark's handwriting is as flamboyant as her fashion sense. The note is written on a Hello Kitty stationary. She probably wrote it with one of those fancy pens that have feathers all over the end of it. I read the note.

_Belinda,_

_Your children are a treat to watch over. Andy stayed to himself. No signs of any major wolf out. He told me that he is working ahead on his school work. Good idea for a boy who will be missing a lot of school in the future. He will make a good veterinarian or doctor someday if he keeps up with his studies._

_Izzy was as sweet as always. I'm glad the North Man put in the play set in the backyard. I had a hard time pulling her away from it. She has been sleeping well. No nightmares. I will come around tomorrow after the werewolf comes. We can talk more than._

_Love Always,_

_Auggie_

I'm glad the kids weren't much trouble for her. I wonder how she knows about Andy wanting to be a vet or a doctor? I know he never told her. Andy keeps his distance from the elf/fairy.

Then my mind wanders to my boy again. My sweet and caring son. His dream is to either help animals or autistic people. I have a feeling Andy would rather help the autistic. Either way, he will be helping those close to him and I'll be there, supporting his dream. Speak of Andy. I go to his bedroom where he is peacefully dreaming. I didn't want to wake him, but I had to. So here goes nothing.

"Andy honey? Wake up sweetie," I say as I gently shake him. Andy lets out a yawn and rubs his eyes. His dark hair all a mess. "We need to talk," I then say.

"What is it, Mom?" His voice deep from his sleep. I give him a tender smile.

"Got some news for you. I met your father tonight and he is a very nice man," I say. Andy wakes up quickly. He stares at me with wide eyes. "And he wants to meet you," I then say, surprised by my calm demeanor.

"What's his name?" Andy manages to ask.

"His name is Alcide and not only is he your biological father, he is also your pack mentor."

"I get to meet him tomorrow then?"

"Yes. I need you to be my little man tomorrow," I said with a small smile. Andy hates it when I call him little man, but to me he is more a man sometimes than a boy.

"Awww Mom! You know I'll be good. I can't wait to meet him. I hope he likes me?"

"He is going to love you," I said, messing up my boy's hair even more.

"I don't know if I'll be able to sleep now," Andy tells he.

"Try to, baby. Goodnight," I whisper and kiss his forehead.

"Goodnight Mom," Andy says and gives me a hug.

I shut the door to Andy's room. I watch Eric from the open door of Izzy's bedroom. He watches over her as she sleeps. His face has an angelic glow from the hallway light. His long hair put me in mind of an angel from a renaissance painting, except Eric wore a powder blue t-shirt and black jeans and he had no feathery wings to speak of. Although I can picture him with a sword. He sang a Scandinavian song to her as he knelt down by her bed.

"No monsters will hurt you or take you away, as long as I am near," he whispered in her ear. Spoken like a true angel, I thought to myself. He pets her hair and sings some more into her ears. I didn't want to disturb the peaceful scene. "I wish you no nightmares, my little Valkyrie," he whispers to her again. His kisses her forehead. Izzy opens her eyes. Instead of the screams from her nightmares, she smiles up at the vampire.

"Astrid told me to tell you that she misses you," Izzy says. "She never liked it when you would leave her."

Sadness appears in the vampire's eyes, but he managed a smile for Izzy. "Why did you leave?" Izzy then asks.

"I had to. I needed to make sure my Astrid would be well feed and that her modir had enough supplies to keep her clothed and warm. I never wanted to leave, but I…" Eric choked the last line out. He mutters a few words that I don't understand.

"Aude is sorry," Izzy says. "Aude is sorry you had to go."

"Min vif," Eric mumbled.

"She loved you as much as she could. She misses you too," Izzy spoke in almost a trance like state now. She reaches up and touches Eric's hair. She runs the ends of his blond hair through her tiny little fingers. A bloody tear came from Eric's eye.

"Min bondi, don't cry for me," Izzy says in a voice that isn't her own. "I want you to live. I want you to love," the strange woman's voice says. A voice coming from my daughter's lips.

Eric grabs Izzy's hand and kisses it. "I will," he whispers in a chocked up voice. "I will, my Aude."

Izzy fell out of the trance and back to sleep. Eric held onto her hand. He held her tiny hand to his cheek. He cried. I decided to let the vampire be. Izzy's psychic powers are unpredictable. Now her subconscious is channeling the dead. God, I hope Northman is good on his word. I don't need Izzy sucked up into this supernatural shit. Having one supe in the house is already enough.


	22. Chapter 22

**I want to thank everyone for all the love! I want to thank all my new and old readers! I love writing this and I apoligize for any bad language of misspellings. Belinda has become one of my favorite subjects to write about. Hard to believe that I have only added a handful of original characters to the mix. Belinda, believe it or not is a character from the books. I just enjoy expanding her story. It has been one fun ride so far! ;)**

I went to sleep that night while Eric kept watch over Izzy. I tossed and turned. My mind kept on drifting to the thought of Alcide. I wondered what my life would have been like if I had gotten to know his name that night ten years ago. Andy is such a well rounded kid now, but he might have grown even more if his father had been around. Then I thought of my Isabelle. What kind of child would she be without the autism and now the strange psychic crap?

The door to my bedroom opens to the tall Viking. Blood smears under his blue eyes and on his t-shirt. I turn on the lamp beside the bed to see the sadness and loneliness all over his face. Can't say as I don't feel the same way. I guess Eric and I do have some common ground. We are just two lonely souls that have lost a lot in our lifetimes.

"What's wrong, Eric?"

"I don't want to be alone," he says and holds himself.

"I don't either," I confessed.

"Can I join you?" I have a feeling that Eric has never had to ask. I scoot to one side of the bed. "At least till the sun comes?"

"Sure," I say and pull back the covers. Eric strips down to a pair of boxer that matched his blood stained shirt. He checked himself in the bathroom mirror and cleaned the dried blood from his face and neck. He then took his place on the bed beside me. He pulled me into his embrace. I faced him. "I'm sick of being alone."

"Me too," he says. I had made out his serious features with my poor vision. Then I put my arms around his neck. He nuzzled into my neck, not biting or kissing. Just needing my touch as much as I needed his. "It has been ages since a woman has ever allowed me into her bed for anything other than sex. This is nice."

"Yes. Nice," I said in a lazy way. At the moment we weren't sex partners or lovers, we were just two lonely people needing each others companionship.

Eric pulled me into his long strong body. It was nice having the scent of a man so close. I felt protected. "We have been through so much. I have seen things that are only written in history books and you…"

"I have seen the dredges of society and nearly died two times. Once from a psychotic werewolf and another by a drug overdose," I said.

"Yes, but you still live," he whispers. "That is an accomplishment unto itself."

"Yeah, I wear my scars like badges of honor," I say in a sarcastic way.

"You have corrected those mistakes and still live to tell about it. Not many humans can say the same."

"Yeah, but I should have been doing more. More for my kids and myself. You saw how I was living," I said as the tears fell from my eyes. Eric licks the tears. I stop him. "Whoa, if you want to blend in better, you can't go around tasting bodily fluids," I tell him. He gives me a puzzled look. "You want to mainstream with people, you can't be doing that," I said. A laugh escapes me. Eric gives me a scowl.

"Pam," Eric growled. " I just knew my child wouldn't be able to keep her mouth shut!"

"Shhhhh, the kids are sleeping," I said, I put my finger to his lips. I give him my blind smile. "I don't mind being your emissary, besides if the rest of the girls are anything like Ginger, you are going to need a better example around to show the other vampires."

He gives me a blurry smile. I snuggle into him, craving his touch, his scent. Eric runs his long fingers through my course curly hair. "So she used the term emissary?" He asks me is a quiet voice. I just nod. He laughs which starts me doing the same. Shortly after, I fall asleep in his arms, unaware of the vampire taking his leave of my bed.

I managed about four hours of sleep. Looks like it's going to be a coffee kind of day. I dress myself in a pair of jeans and red sweater. I pull my hair back in its usual ponytail. I put on a little makeup and perfume. Must make myself presentable for my baby's daddy.

I emptied a pot of coffee by the time noon came around. Andy paced around the house. Nervous is the understatement of the year for my son. I can't say that I'm not a little nervous myself. Andy wore a pair of jeans and a plain black t-shirt with his red plaid flannel shirt over it.

"I hope he likes me. That's all I want. For him to like me," Andy says as he passes Izzy who is playing with one of her dolls.

"He'll love you, sweetie. There will be no doubt about that," I tell him.

"He's a werewolf just like you," Izzy says as she puts her two cents in. Izzy seems unhappy today. I think it's because Andy gets to meet his biological father and Izzy will never know hers.

Andy kneels down next to his sister on the floor. He gives Izzy a tender smile. Two days ago Andy found the obituary in the paper for a man who hung himself in a storage unit. It was the obit for a Harold Michael LeDoux. I've lived in denial of it since, but Andy never forgot. Andy could never fully forget his time with Harry. When Harry left us, the first words out of my boy's five year old mouth was, "Mom, there was always something a little off about Harry." I ignored the comment much like I ignored a lot of things when I was down. I sit here years later, thinking of all the strange behavior Harry exhibited. He always knew who was on the other end of the phone and we didn't have caller ID or anything. Harry also seemed to know when I felt like using again and he also had a little fear towards my son. Harry had a knack for knowing things now that I look back.

I go to where Izzy is on the floor. I kneel down next to Andy. I embrace my little girl and Andy does the same. "We're sorry Izz," Andy mumbles. "So sorry."

"Maybe your daddy will like me, Andy?" Izzy says. "Maybe we can share a daddy?"

"That would be great, Izzy. Maybe someday," Andy tells her. Then I saw the tears in my little girl's eyes. An emotion. She felt an emotion all on her own.

"My Daddy couldn't take it anymore. He had too much," She chocks out. Izzy never so much read the newspaper. Andy and I never told her about Harold much less the obituary.

"I'm sorry, baby," I tell her. I hug her tighter.

"That's okay. Astrid said she will share her Daddy with me. Her Daddy already likes us," Izzy said as her moment of sadness passed. Andy gave me a strange look.

"Eric?" He mouthed and I nodded. " My little sister is special too," he whispered and I just nodded back.

The doorbell rang. I went to get the door and there stood Alcide Heveruax on my doorstep. He had a bouquet of flowers and a ball glove. He gives me that lovely smile of his as I open the door, but he looks as nervous as the ten year old werewolf standing behind me.

"Hello Belinda. These are for you," Alcide says and hands me the flowers. I put them on the foyer table.

"Thank you. Come on in," I said as I stood aside. Andy doing his best to hide behind me and the door.

"Lovely place you have here. I like the wooded area. How much land you have here?" Alcide asks.

"Oh, five acres," I answered.

"That should be enough for hunting," Alcide says. Obviously curious to see if I'm capable of having a wolf pup around. "Where is the pup?" Alcide asks. Andy bolted to his room before I was even aware he wasn't there.

"Have a seat and I'll go get him," I tell Alcide as I direct him to the living room. He smiles down at Izzy.

"Hello there. You must be Isabelle," he says to my daughter with a warm smile.

"You must be Andy's Dad," she says. Then she got a strange look on her face. "Get away from that bad lady before she shoots my angel," Izzy then says. Alcide then was the one to give her a strange look.

"Never mind Izzy. She has a tendency to say some off the wall stuff at times. You know kids. Come on Izzy, let's go to your bedroom. I'm sure Andy wants to be alone with his mentor," I tell her and take her hand. She complies, but she keeps her head turned to Alcide the whole time we walk down the hallway.

I settle Izzy in her room before heading to Andy's room. I open the door to find my son sitting on his bed. He looks at me. Even though it's daytime, that strange yellow glow appeared in his eyes. He gives me a nervous look. I go to sit next to him. I rub his back.

"It's going to be okay, baby. No need to wolf out on me. Alcide is a nice man. You have nothing to be nervous about," I tell him.

"I know," his deep voice says. He gains control of himself.

"Come on. Let's go meet you mentor," I tell him. He nods and he heads on out to the living room.

Alcide stood up when he saw Andy at my side. I look up at the man's face. Rugged and big best described him. This is what Andy is going to look like when he gets older. He gives my boy a warm and welcoming smile.

"This is Andrew, but he prefers to be called Andy," I tell the big man.

"Andy. So nice to finally meet you. I brought you a present," Alcide says. He hands the ball glove to Andy. "It used to be mine when I was your age."

Andy takes the glove. "I'm sorry. I don't really play ball. I usually like to shoot guns and crossbows," Andy tells Alcide. Alcide looks at him in a strange way.

"Don't really play ball?" Alcide questioned.

"Nope," Andy said, shaking his head.

"I neglected to put him in little league when he was younger," I said nervously. "My boss taught the boy how to use firearms about a year ago and Andy has taken to it like a fish in water."

"Strange way to raise a child," Alcide then said. Andy and I both shrugged. "At least he knows something useful," Alcide then says. I wasn't about to tell him that Eric wants to teach my boy how to use a sword.

Andy gave Alcide his ball glove back. Andy also let Alcide know that there was no hard feelings. After all, Alcide has never met his son before today. They talked about many things. Mainly about Andy's first transformation. Alcide listened to everything with a patient ear. Andy left out Eric licking Izzy's knee and I thanked my lucky stars. He told him everything else that happened and how it felt. He remembered me giving him the roast and comforting him. Alcide seemed glad that nothing else went wrong.

"So you were completely aware?" Alcide asks Andy.

"Pretty much," Andy replies.

"That's not normal. Most first timers usually go all wild. That's usually why another Were needs to be with them. You must be a natural Were," Alcide says in a proud way.

"Andy has always been smart for his age," I tell Alcide. Andy blushes.

"Mom," Andy says.

"Can't I be proud of you," I say with a smile. Andy returns my smile.

"What do you want to be when you grow up?" Alcide then asks my boy.

"I want to be a doctor. I want to help people like my sister. She's autistic. She has been getting better lately," Andy tells the werewolf.

"Very noble. The pack will help pay for your college when you get old enough. We will also make sure you are protected," Alcide tells Andy.

"What about Mom and Izzy? Are you going to protect them?" Andy asks.

"They are higher than friend of the pack. They are family of the pack. We protect all Weres and their non Were family, but they still will not get the same benefits as you will get," Alcide explains to Andy.

"No! They deserve the same! Mom has worked her ass off for me!"

"Andy!" I yell at him. "You know we don't use that kind of language!"

"Sorry Mom," Andy whimpers like a dog. Alcide eyes widened.

"I have never seen a young Were do that before. Much less a Were as young as Andy," Alcide says.

"He started doing that before he fully changed. Don't all werewolves do that?" I ask.

"Only much older Weres. Never pups. Andy you are a legend," Alcide tells him.

"Legend?" Andy and I questioned in unison.

"Yes, I need to do my research. If I'm right, you are born to rule all," Alcide says.

"Like a pack master?" Andy asks.

"No. Higher than a pack master. More like a king. The pack elders need to know about you," Alcide says. He seems excited about this new development.

"Izzy was right that night," Andy whispers in my ear. I nodded. I couldn't deny my little girl's ability. My life just keeps getting more and more interesting.


	23. Chapter 23

**I want to thank treewitch703 for putting up with me. She has to be the best beta ever! I give her two big tumbs up for putting up with me! Thank you!**

Andy gave me a very reluctant look. My son didn't want to be thought of as some high and mighty king. I could tell that it was too much for his brain to wrap around. Andy sat down in the big plush chair. I sat on the armrest. I rubbed my boy's back as he put his head down. Alcide picked right up on Andy's attitude.

"I don't want to be a king," Andy said. "I never asked for this."

"Andy, I'm sorry," Alcide answered. Andy looked at up at him with teary eyes.

"I want to be a doctor. I want to help people. I never asked to be a werewolf. Why can't I just be a normal kid with normal kid problems?" Andy questioned. Alcide didn't know what to say. Sadness played across the older werewolf's face. Obviously Alcide has had the same feelings. I hugged my son close to me. I never expected this. Were they going to take Andy away from me? What will become of Izzy and me in the grand scheme of things? Did this mean that Alcide and I are going have to hook up now? Tons and tons of questions.

"I won't tell the elders or Colonel Flood about this. I see that you have enough on your plate already. You need to have time to grow up first. Maybe you will change your mind eventually. I never asked to be a werewolf either, Andy," Alcide told my son. He gave him a small smile. He came over to the chair where Andy was sitting and crouched down to his level. He took Andy's hand. "Trust me, it doesn't get any easier. I'm not going to lie to you. I am not a born leader like you are, Andy. Some Weres love being who they are and some look at it as a curse. I understand your feelings. I don't know how long I can keep your secret, but I will do my best."

Andy wiped the tears from his eyes. The pup is the mirror image of the sire. "Thank you," he whispered. He got up out of the chair and hugged his father. Tears welled in Alcide's eyes as he caught the familiar scent of his son. Next thing I know, _**I**_ began to break down. Andy let go of Alcide and reassuringly wrapped his arm around me.

Alcide wanted to take Andy out for some bonding time. Andy wanted to go. I know he still had a lot of questions he wanted to ask the older werewolf. Of course, I said yes. I wanted my son to get to know his father. He deserved it. That just left Izzy and me alone with the house to ourselves. No sooner had the truck pulled out of the drive, than the doorbell rang.

I looked out the peephole and have to angle my view downward and saw a hat knit in the shape of a black cat on white hair streaked with red. The large pale blue eyes looking up at mine crinkled with a smile. My only guess at who it could be? Augustine Spark. Just like Mary Poppins, she appeared on my doorstep. There is no vehicle that I can see. I didn't know if she walked here or if she just appeared out of thin air? All I knew is that my little girl liked her and she seemed to be a pretty competent sitter. Andy can't seem to stand her though, but merely tolerated the elf/fairy for Izzy's sake. I opened the door. Today Auggie seemed pretty conservative in her dress. Skinny jeans, Doc Martens, black hoodie with red piping and a heart on the breast with the same black cat design as her hat, and red fingerless gloves. Augustine Spark looks like Hot Topic exploded all over her, but the style seemed to work for her scrawny little frame.

At five foot five I felt gargantuan looming over Augustine when I opened the door. The child sized woman glided in with an inhuman grace. She smiled showing all her pointy little teeth. I wondered if that is a fairy or an elf trait? Then again, I'm not sure if I really wanted to know.

"Hello Belinda. How did everything go with Mr. Herveaux?" she asked me in that high voice of hers.

"I'm fine, Auggie. Everything is fine," I answered her. For some strange reason I felt like I can talk to her. That I could tell her my inner most secrets. I don't know if it's just her or some strange flavor of magic. "Andy seems to have bonded with Alcide," I then told her. A smile quirked her lips once again.

"That's great, B! That boy needs to know his father," she said as she took my hand and directed me to the kitchen. She sets me down at the table. I'm surprised Izzy hasn't come out of her room yet to greet Auggie. "Allow me to make us some hot chocolate and cookies," Auggie then said. I watched as the tiny woman busies herself in my kitchen. She grabbed a step stool to get the cocoa out of the upper cabinets. She pulled out a tube of ready made cookie dough out of the refrigerator. She cuts the dough into slices and puts the cookie sheet into the oven. She moved smoothly like a dancer as the scent of freshly baked cookies fills the air.

"You wish to know more about the mysterious Eric Northman," Auggie says, giving me a wink. That was another weird thing about Augustine Spark, she sometimes knew exactly what you were thinking. "I suppose I can tell you now that it's daylight."

She put a mug in front of me. A small bowl of marshmallows and a plate of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. Perfect girl talk food. The only thing that was missing was the ice cream.

"I just adore chocolate. If there is one thing that humanity did right, it was chocolate," Augustine said. She took a sip of the very hot liquid. "Life before chocolate really sucked," she added. I wondered how old this little creature was? "A girl never tells her age, but I can tell you about my family. My mother came from the fae while my father came from Alfheim. Which means my mother was a fairy and my father was a light elf. Fairies and elves usually don't like each other much, but my father thought she was the most divine creature he had ever met. They met in this world of course, a long, long time ago. Their love was completely forbidden and they would wait for the shroud of darkness to meet. My beautiful Mother was a tall slender creature. Father was tall and fair himself. They loved one another more than anything. They could never marry in their worlds, but this world is different. When mother became pregnant, she and father both fled to this world. They lived among the humans in what is now known as the country of Denmark," Augustine explained. She seemed to be intent on telling me her life story.

"They settled in a Viking village by the sea. My mother and father were the fairest of the villagers. Mom and Dad were married in a Viking ceremony even though they had no name among the people, but they did have wealth. They gave each other their heart and soul. I was born. The midwives were surprised by my small size. I wasn't expected to live, but I did. They didn't think much of my ears. The women were convinced that I would grow out of having such strange ears. Mom and Dad stayed until I started to teethe. You see, my Dad had filed his teeth down to fit in as a human and Mom always wore her hair down to hide her ears. But a baby, you can't file baby teeth. So they fled to Sweden.

Mom and Dad built a nice little farm away from the humans. They placed wards so that no humans would know of our home. Once in a while Mom would take me with her to shop in the human marketplaces. You see, Mom and Dad were enthralled with the humans and their ways. One time I witnessed my Dad help a Viking woman with her fertility problem. She wanted another son. Having sons was very important for the Vikings. They wanted warriors. This woman feared that one son would not be enough. The woman was unaware she had been touched by a light elf. Dad just loved doing stuff like that. Anyway, as I was saying, Mom took me to market with her. She was strict that I was not to smile or show my teeth in any way. She would cover my head in wraps and hats to hide my ears and we would go mingle with the humans. Mom and Dad both wanted me raised to know the ways of the humans because I didn't belong in either of their worlds.

I grew up eventually. Or grew up as much as I could," Augustine paused to giggle. I smiled. I enjoyed hearing her fascinating tale. "Mom and Dad never expected me to be a runt. I realized as I grew up and became a woman that I would devote myself to children. Word got out about the small odd woman with a knack for helping to raise children. A Viking chieftain approached me one day. He told me the sad tale of his missing son. He needed help in raising his grandchildren until his return. Seems his son disappeared while courting a new potential wife. The poor man had lost his wife and babe in childbirth. By then I was a young woman of five hundred, so I knew what I must do to keep myself safe. Mom and Dad had gone back to their worlds and I was alone, except for the occasional visit. I gladly accepted the job.

I caught the scent of the chieftain. I then decided to see if I could track his son. I knew a little about vampires, but have always made it a point to steer clear of them. I came across the stretch of road where the distraught chieftain had lost his son. Seems the lad had a little too much to drink. Then I caught another scent. The scent of death. Roman death to be more precise. The poor chieftain's son did die, but he also still lives. Vampire, that was the scent. I kept tight lipped about it. I made it a point not to interfere in human affairs. I watched over the three children for the chieftain. Then one night, I spotted a tall figure in the darkness outside the longhouse. Bloody tears fell from his eyes as he stood watch over the house.

The next day I took the children outside. The boys were such a handful, but the girl, she was quiet and sweet. Little was known about the child's condition then, but my otherness sensed it. She kept to herself. Playing with her primitive doll carved from a large wooden spoon. A storm was brewing on the horizon. We had to hurry for shelter. The girl left her doll in our haste. I quickly used my magic in the chaos. I hid the doll in a dry place close to where I spotted the figure.

Later that night, I spotted the large man again. I knew that it was the chieftain's son. He was saying his final goodbyes before departing from his home forever. I hid in the branches of the large oak tree. This time I showed my true self as I watched the him pick up the doll. I approached the vampire with caution. I wasn't sure if my fae blood would drive him bananas. Even though he towered over me, I still knew I had the upper hand.

"You miss them already," I quietly tell the giant Viking before me. His fangs came out and he jumped at me. I was much quicker. "Hey, do not kill your children's caregiver," I scold the Viking.

"You are no child?" he tells me.

"No I am not! I am a woman!"

"A little small for a grown woman. No matter. I shall enjoy your blood all the same."

"No you will not! I am your children's caregiver! Did you not hear me before? I mean you no harm," I tell him and he laughs.

"How can such a little creature harm me? I can pull you apart with my bare hands, little woman!"

"I am more than a woman, vampire," I tell him. He laughs. I push him to the ground. I didn't care if there was nearly a two foot difference in our heights. The vampire was pissing me off. I stood on his chest. White light radiated from my finger tips.

"What are you?" the big bad vampire asked me.

"I am your children's caregiver. I go by the name Astir. I have lived a long time. My father is from Alfheim and my mother is from the fae. That is all I am willing to tell you, vampire."

"Elf? There really are elves in this world?"

"Just as there are vampires and so many other creatures," I tell the curious vampire. I step off of him so he can get up. The vampire kneels before me. So new and curious this creature was. I let him take in the sight of me. I give him a smile, showing off my teeth. I felt him touch my ears.

"A light elf? There is something more to you. You are more than an elf," he says in wide eyed curiosity.

"You will find out in time. Right now I must tell you that your family misses you. You cannot go back though. You will surely meet your final death if you do. I want to let you know that I am here to protect them and keep them safe. You are but a child yourself now. You must follow your maker and learn all that there is to know. Live long vampire, but never forget those that you hold dear," I tell him. He looks down at the doll in his hand. "Keep it as a piece of what you have lost. Never let your maker know that you have it. He will truly destroy you."

"Thank you, elf," he says. I kiss his cheek before I return to the longhouse. I saw him again from time to time throughout the years and centuries. He was about as much of an outcast as I was. Young vampires don't always last. Especially if they have nothing to hold dear. It's funny when I think about it, the Viking woman I told you about earlier. That happened to be Eric's mother," Augustine said as she finished her story. I am completely amazed. This strange little creature has lived longer than even the vampire I work for. Oh, the things and advancement she must have seen in her long life.

Izzy came into the kitchen. She ran to Augustine who gave her a hug. Augustine then made Izzy a hot chocolate. "Looks like it's just us girls," Auggie quipped. I wondered what made Izzy stay in her room? "Izzy knew that I wanted to talk to you," Augustine said with a wink. I realized that, for some weird reason, I could truly trust this strange little creature.

"I have one question for you, Auggie. You said your name was Astir?" I ask her.

"Yes. Astir is my given name. It means love in old Norse. Of course I change my name from time to time. You know, got to keep up with society. Unlike vampires, I try to keep myself modern. It makes it easier for the kids. You know, talk to them at their own level," she said, looking every bit the teenager she appears. Funny, I thought, I'm sort of a kid to her too.

"Very practical. No wonder you have lived so long," I told her.

"It's the only way to survive. Speaking of which, I should be going The wolves are on their way back," Auggie says. She kisses Izzy on the cheek. She stands on her tiptoes and does the same to me.

"I'll see you guys soon," she says as she steps out the door. I watch as she walks across the yard and into the woods. She disappeared before she enters the trees.

I stood there blankly for a moment and then a black truck pulled into the drive. Alcide and Andy were back. Andy jumped out of the truck with a smile on his face. Alcide comes around the truck and pats my boy on the back. I wonder what two werewolves do for fun? I went out to the porch, Izzy followed. She stood behind me, looking up at the large man. She seemed more closed off with Alcide than she was with Eric.

"Mom! He took me hunting," Andy said, excitedly.

"That's great baby," I responded. I knew that Alcide took him hunting in a way that Daddy Joe never could. Izzy just looked up at her brother.

"It was soooo cool! I didn't know I could run that fast," Andy went on. "Is there anything to eat?" He then asked me.

"In the kitchen. Auggie came over and baked some cookies. There might be some hot chocolate left?"

"Got any cold meat?"

"In the fridge, sweetie. Boy, being a puppy has sure made you into a little carnivore," I joke. Andy gave me a bright eyed smile before going back into the house.

I felt Izzy at my back. I can't say if she doesn't like Alcide or if she is just being shy. She didn't seem so shy around him earlier.

"That is one amazing kid you have there, Belinda. Smart as a whip," Alcide says, giving me a smile.

"You're telling me. Sometimes I can't even keep up with him."

Alcide touched my cheek. "I sure wish I could have gotten to know you better. If there is ever anything you need, don't hesitate to ask," he told me.

"For now just be there for Andy. I don't need anything else," I told him as I take his hand. I still feel the sparks between us. God, I can't deny that I never felt anything for this man. He has been on my mind for the past ten years. I fight the urge to kiss him, just as I know he is doing the same.

"Leave the bad lady! She is not very nice," Izzy voice pulled me out of my daze. She looked up at Alcide with a scowl on her little face. Alcide just looked down at her, unsure of what to say. "She doesn't like you, she only wants you to buy her pretty things."

"Now Izzy! Enough," I hated to yell at her. She looked up at me with a pout on her face before retreating back into the house.

"More of that kid stuff again?" Alcide said with a puzzled look.

"I'm so sorry. I don't know what's gotten into her lately," I answered.

"I understand. Andy told me about her autism. You both had a rough go of it, haven't you?"

"We managed. Izzy is the one person that Andy and I …" I felt tears again.

"You both do a fine job of caring for her. I have a sister of my own. Her name is Janice and she lives in Mississippi with her husband. I envy that Andy is so close to Izzy. I can't protect Janice living in a different state, but I do manage to see her once in a while," he says as he leaned in closer.

"Thank you," I whisper through my tears.

"For what? I have given you a burden. I should have been there," he says.

"Thank you for that burden. Andy is the best thing that has ever happened to me," I said.

"I still should have been there for you," he whispered.

"You can be there for Andy now. I'll be just fine," I said before I felt those lips hit mine. I reached up to put my arms around his neck and bury my hands in his hair. The smell, that smell I remember so well and those talented lips. Then I thought of the kids. I pulled away. Alcide and I blushed.

"Drop Andy off at this address," he says, handing me a business card. "Just drop him off and drive away. Someone will be watching even though the place might seem vacant. Colonel Flood doesn't want you anywhere near them before the pack changes. It can be very dangerous. Andy will be safe. I'll be there with him the whole night," Alcide explained.

"I forgot about the full moon. Just so you know, if anything happens to my boy, I have a rifle loaded with silver shot. Andy isn't the only one that knows how to shoot," I told him as I looked down at the business card for Herveaux and Son. Alcide laughed. I look up at that handsome face and smile myself.

"I would expect anything less. I have only known him for a few hours and I can understand your love for him. He really is an amazing kid, Belinda."

"Compliments won't save you from a bullet if anything happens to my son," I tell him with a smile. He smiles down at me. He chastely kissed my cheek this time.

"I should be going," he whispers in my ear.

"Bye," I simply say. I watch him go to his truck. Man, he has a fine tight ass! He gave me that perfect smile again. I smiled back and waved like a big old fool as he pulls out of my long drive.


	24. Chapter 24

**This is the part where I sing my praises to Master Beta treewitch703! I hope you all enjoy and thank you for all the reviews and love. I pour my soul into this story.**

So here I am, driving down a wooded country road towards the address Alcide had written on the back of his business card. I saw Izzy in my rear view mirror her brows are drawn together and her lower lip is quivering. The poor thing was upset. Andy and Izzy were rarely ever apart. The only time the two were ever apart is when they were at school. Izzy can accept that because it's a part of her routine, but this was new.

Andy sat in the passenger seat, keeping his eyes open for the iron gate Alcide'd told him about. I caught a glimpse of the gold rings around his irises. He couldn't fight the change the night is bringing. His backpack rested between his legs. I made him pack an extra set of clothes and toiletries. Small animal noises resonated in his throat. He was ready for the hunt. He looked behind him to Izzy. His canines elongated. Sunset was only an hour away.

"What's wrong Izz?" he asks her. His voice still sounds normal. Izzy grunts. "Come on sis. I have to go."

"We have nice woods around our house," she responded.

"I know, but the pack needs to make sure I know what I'm doing before they let me hunt alone."

"Your daddy seems to like our mommy, but he is seeing a very mean lady," Izzy says out of the blue. Andy lets out a moan as he leans his head against the seat.

"She is so impossible," Andy growls in a wolfish way. I couldn't help but smile at my little girl's stubborn behavior. "What is she even talking about anyway?"

"You know Izzy, she has a way of knowing stuff," I responded as I caught sight of the iron gate.

"She can be scary. I can't wait till they let me hunt alone so I can protect you and her," Andy says, trying to control the new depth in his voice. The gold has over taken the green of his eyes. His canines are longer than before.

"Well, this looks like the place," I announced as I pulled the car over. "Looks like we made it in time."

Alcide waited by the gate. He gave me a smile. "I didn't want Andy to be alone for the first drop off. Besides, I have to give him the code to the gate," Alcide said as he bent over to the open window of the driver's side of my car. He looks past me to Andy. "Looks like you made it just in time, Belinda."

"So it seems," I respond.

"Is that bad lady here?" Izzy says from the back seat.

"No. Werewolves only, sweetheart," he tells her.

"Good! Don't let shape shifters hunt with you guys," Izzy cautioned. Alcide's eyes widened. He knew now that there was something special about the autistic girl in my backseat. He shook his head at me. Andy opened his car door. He leaned over the seat to give me a hug.

"Be careful baby," I told him.

"I will Mom," he says in his own normal voice. He spoke without a lisp despite his long canines. He then opened the back door. Izzy gives in to his hug even though she appeared stiff. "When I get back home we are going to play whatever you want. How about pirates?"

"No, Andy. I want to play Vikings," she tells Andy. Andy smiles, showing his fangs. Izzy didn't seem bothered by her brother's altered appearance. Ever since Eric gave Izzy her new play set, Izzy has been populating it with her imagination. Andy encouraged her.

"We can play Vikings. Take care of Mom for me, okay?" Andy says warmly. Izzy gives him a small smile.

"Eric is going to come over to protect us," she tells Andy.

"Good," Andy says. He licks her cheek like an affectionate puppy.

"Ewwww, Yuck!" Izzy says. Andy, Alcide and I laugh. "You're not a wolf yet, Andy!"

"I'm just funning around with you, Izz. Have a goodnight," he says and gives his sister a proper peck on the cheek.

"Night Mom," he says and kisses my cheek.

"Goodnight, sweetie," I said. I pulled away with a heavy heart. This is the first time I was without my boy. I felt the tears well up in my eyes.

Izzy went straight to her bedroom. She seemed rather closed off and back to her old ways after Andy was dropped off. I watched her as she obsessed over her dolls. She gravitated towards the primitive spoon doll. She held it in her hands and closed her eyes. Instead of tears this time, she smiles. I even hear her laugh. Then she opened her eyes and once again was back to being herself. She saw me lingering in her doorway and put the doll back in its place.

"Mom, Astrid was having a snowball fight with her Dad and brothers," she told me. "It was fun. Can we go to a place with snow?"

"Maybe someday."

"Astrid's Dad is funny. I like him," she said. A small smile formed on her lips. Then she went back to playing with her dolls. I enjoyed moments where I got to see my little girl shine through.

The doorbell rang. Izzy wandered out of her room and followed me to the front door. She must have felt the pull of her favorite vampire standing on the other side of the door. She was different tonight. Less enthusiastic. Cautious even. I opened the door to Eric, who had two other vampires standing behind him. Pam and much to my dismay, Clancy. Pam was dressed in a red pencil skirt with a pink sweater and ferocious red pumps. She carried a plain brown shopping bag. Clancy of course was his usual nasty self. Staring at my tits and licking his lips. Eric was unaware of the vulgar behavior his underling exhibited. Pam looked over at Clancy and managed to hit him in the elbow. Clancy gave her a scowl.

"Behave Clancy!" Eric said without turning around. Voice full of authority. His eyes were on me. Not glamouring me. He looked down at Izzy and gave her a wink. Izzy smiles up at him.

"Why do we have to be here?" Clancy protested.

"The Master insists we observe this human, Clancy," Pam growled in an effort to quash the red headed vampire.

"That's right, my child. This human will show us how to act…modern," Eric said in a bored and toneless voice. This is an act, I thought to myself. This is the Eric I will be dealing with at work and around other vampires. Talk about peer pressure and I thought a group of teenagers could be bad. Vampires must have been the ones to invent peer pressure, especially amongst their own kind. Against my better judgment, I invited all three of the vampires in. Eric and Pam weren't the problem, but I'd rather have Clancy standing outside, waaaay outside.

Izzy went back to her bedroom without a word. Eric stopped Clancy from following her. Clancy eyed my daughter like a hungry wolf eyes a fawn.

"Leave the child be, Clancy. We are not here to feed," Eric told the creepy vampire in his authoritative voice. Clancy gave Eric a scowl. I definitely needed to have a chat with Eric about Clancy. He's a loose cannon. I thanked my lucky stars that Eric didn't have Longshadow tag along as well.

"They're just a couple of humans. What's a drop of blood going to hurt?" Clancy whined like a small child.

"I have given you my orders, Clancy. Of course, if you do not wish to follow them, I can always contact your maker. Or better yet, send you back to the last territory you came from," Eric tells Clancy.

"Fine," Clancy huffed and crossed his arms. I held back my giggle. Who knew that vampires could act like large children?

The three vampires followed me into the kitchen where I offered them TrueBlood. They accepted my hospitality like good little vampires. Clancy stared at the bottle in disgust as I set it down in front of him.

"This stuff tastes horrible," Clancy grumbled.

"We are to drink this foul stuff from now on, Clancy. It is the only way we are going to be able to mainstream," Pam said. Acting the part of teacher's pet. Clancy gagged down the phony blood.

"I'd much rather have a little snack from our human's femoral artery," Clancy said, talking right through me.

"Enough Clancy! I will have Miss Harrison _rescind_ your invitation," Eric growls at the Ginger Jerk

"But this is your property, Eric," Clancy growled back.

"Miss Harrison pays rent to me, this is _her_ home and she can allow whom ever she pleases inside," Eric answered Mr. Impossible. Clancy pouted and decided he better play good little vampire.

The three sat there, drinking their bloods and stared at me like I was going to do something interesting. Finally Pam spoke up, "How are we suppose to observe her if she isn't doing anything interesting?" I rolled my eyes and smacked my hands on the kitchen counter.

"What do y'all want to know?" I asked the three statues looking at me.

"Looks like you picked a feisty one, Eric," Clancy says with a laugh. Pam rolls her eyes.

"Don't you talk about me like I'm not standing right here, ginger boy!" I yelled at Creepy Clancy. He popped his fangs out at me and tried to grab me, but Eric and Pam held him back.

"Clancy! You leave Miss Harrison be! Good help is hard to find among the humans and I do not wish to go looking for a new head waitress. You got me," Eric scolded Clancy again. Talk about a problem child! Clancy slouched in his chair pouting.

"She called me ginger boy, Eric! I don't even know what that means," Clancy whined. I interrupted.

"Ginger is a term the humans call someone with red hair and pale skin," I explained.

"Then you are a ginger woman?" Clancy responded. The rude and creepy vampire from earlier, turned into a curious vampire now. Almost childlike.

"Yes, I am what you would call a ginger, but girl sounds a lot better than woman," I said.

"Ginger girl? Why girl? You are not a girl, Belinda," Pam said. "I've never known of any woman who would want to be thought of as a girl?"

"It just sounds snappy," I responded.

"Snappy? What kind of a word is that?" Clancy asked, unsure of the word.

"Slang. Don't you vampires keep up with modern human words? I thought you needed to know this stuff to blend in?" Now it was my turn to ask the questions.

"We only know mannerisms. We don't usually like to keep up with the Joneses as you humans like to say," Pam answered.

"Huh," I simply said. "Do you ever read?"

"Mostly books. We don't care about your bloodthirsty ways," Pam said. I noticed Eric just sat back and let the other two do the talking.

"Bloodthirsty? That's ironic," I said and the vampires just gave me a blank stare. "Considering that you three are vampires and Clancy wanted to _feast on my inner thigh!"_

Eric gave me that smirk he does so well. "We are bloodthirsty only because we have to be. You humans seem to kill for no reason other than to cause pain," Eric finally spoke. Pam and Clancy gave me a smug look like their team had just scored points.

"Some do, just as I am certain there are vampires that do the same," I said. The vampires looked at one another, surprised to hear something remotely intelligent come out of my mouth. "I know a vampire hunter. He only killed rogues," I 'fessed up. Pam and Clancy's eyes widened. Eric gave me a wink. He looked as if he was proud of me.

"A vampire hunter that only kills rogues? Most vampire hunters I know of are out for blood," Clancy says.

"Not the one I know," I answered. "Although, if I told him that you wanted to get in my pants, I'm sure I could arrange something, Clancy," I said in a playful way. Pam and Eric laughed. Clancy growled, but didn't try anything out of line, like try to jump me again.

"Enough Clancy," Eric said to the red headed rogue.

"You know, maybe you should read Dear Abby or something. Human behavior can't be taught to a bunch of old dogs," I finally said. The three vampires gave me a strange look.

"Dear Abby? Who is this Dear Abby?" Pam asked.

"She has an advice column in the daily newspaper. She helps us humans with our problems. Maybe you can learn a few modern things there," I said. I didn't want to go on with these 'human lessons' any longer. "Here, you can have mine. I've already read it," I said, tossing my copy of the Shreveport Times at Pam. She caught it gracefully.

"I have something for you too, Belinda," Pam says, pushing the shopping bag across the table. "We didn't come here just to observe you. I wanted to make sure you have your uniform. I noticed that you do not dress like the other…girls. Eric and I wanted to keep with a theme. We noticed that humans like that sort of thing."

I took the bag and pulled out a slinky black dress. Kind of like the one you would see Mortica Addams or Elvira wearing. Low plunging neckline. It looked one step up from a cheap Halloween costume. Pam must have picked up on my distaste.

"See Eric, I told you not everybody is going to like it," Pam said.

"I thought I was through wearing skimpy outfits," I mumbled. I looked at Eric and then back at the dress.

"I need to keep the illusion. We are catering to a certain group of... people. That is the most conservative of the costumes I could find," Eric said, defending his choice. I glanced at the dress once more and then I thought of Ginger's attire. This dress looked like its made from twice the fabric.

"Guess I'll give it a chance," I said.

"Goody," Pam said. "You wouldn't have liked the second choice as much." I look down into the shopping bag and pull out a roll of black electrical tape. Pam smiled. "That was Eric's second choice." Pam smirked. I didn't even want to know what I was suppose to do with the tape? I had my guesses.


	25. Chapter 25

**I was say this until I'm blue in the face. Thank you treewitch703 for you expert eye. You have made a good story, better! Awesome Beta work! Happy Valentines Day to all my readers out there! I feel your love!**

Eric made it clear that Clancy and Pam had worn out their welcome. Pam graciously kissed my cheek on the way out the door, but Clancy…Clancy grabbed for my tits and tried to pull me in for a disgusting kiss. Eric smirked when I yelled out,

"Clancy! Get out! You're not welcome in my house!" It was funny seeing his reaction. An invisible force pushed him out the door and smack into a puddle at the bottom of the porch steps. He fell flat on his ass. I laughed myself breathless at the sight. Eric looked down at good old Ginger Jerk with disdain.

"I told you that she can rescind your invitation at any time. Next time I suggest that you show our human a little more respect," Eric said and Clancy growled. He stood up totally mud spattered. Clancy gave us both a scowl before disappearing into the woods at vampire speed.

"Good riddance," I mumbled. Eric gave me a smile.

"It is nice to know that I have at least one strong human working for me," Eric said as I shut the door.

"If you think so."

"I have never seen a human in their right mind stand up to Clancy like that. You know he's one of the modern Celts. Stubborn group of fools. I've had my issues with him ever since moved into my territory. The other Sheriffs like to dump their problem vampires on me. It's just as well," Eric said with a shrug.

I had surmised that Eric was more than just a bar owner and my boss. I began to think that he was also a boss in the vampire world. He rested his hand on the small of my back to guide me away from the door and towards the living room. He sat me down in my favorite chair and then perched on the large ottoman. He scooped up my legs and proceeded to pull off my sneakers and gave me the best foot massage ever. I melted into the chair while his talented hands went to work. He stopped and leaned over to pull the clip out of my hair. My wild red curls tumbled around my shoulders. He gave me a gentle kiss on the cheek.

He looks at my glasses for a moment, debating whether he should take them off or not.

"Please, leave them on," I said.

"You trust me now?" he responded.

"Izzy is still in her room. Still awake."

"My Little Valkyrie? How could I ever forget about her?"

"Heat of the moment," I moaned out as he began on my feet again. He gave me a smirk.

"You know, I still owe you a bonus," he said in a seductive tone.

"Maybe later? Can't have hanky panky with Izzy still awake," I said. Eric lays a blanket over me. "You have been way too good to me, Eric."

He tangles his fingers in my hair. I looked into those haunting blue eyes. He looks at me in a way a man hasn't looked at me in years.

"You are an amazing woman," he whispers. I blushed.

Izzy came into the living room. She had on a heavy purple winter coat I have never seen before. Faux fur lined with toggle buttons and embroidered flowers around the edges. A hat with a large white pom-pom on top. She looked like a little Swedish girl.

She ran to Eric like a little guided missile. He caught her and tossed her in the air.

"Eric, you promised," she said to him after she kissed his cheek.

"So I did, my Isabelle. I told you that I would show you my special talent, since you have shown me yours," he said and returned her kiss.

"Where did you get that coat, sweetie?" I ask her.

"Eric gave it to me," she answered. But of course, I thought to myself.

"The other coat she has will not do. I don't want Isabelle getting sick," Eric said and smiled at my little girl. She giggled at him.

Eric pulled his hair back in a loose ponytail and secured it with a leather strip he pulled out of his pocket. He put his leather jacket back on. All the while, I'm itching to know about this mysterious talent the vampire possessed. "The night air is much colder where we're going. I wasn't sure if a little human could handle it," Eric said, looking down at me. Eric looks down at Izzy's bare hands. "Where are the gloves and scarf that go with your coat?" he asked her with a playful smile.

"I forgot," she said and ran back to her room as fast her little legs could carry her.

I got up out of the chair and pull my shoes back on. As I am tying my shoes, his large hand grasps mine . He gave me a sincere glance. "If you truly trust me, you'll let me do this," he said. I wasn't sure what he meant.

What was this 'talent' of his that he needed my trust? Why did Izzy need to dress up for a blizzard? I know it's late fall, but we don't get winters like they do in the north.

"I trust you, Eric. I just want to know where you are going with my daughter," I said.

"I promised that I would show her my talent. That is exactly what I'm going to do. I am not one for breaking promises," he said and kissed my hand in a tender way. "Especially if I make them to little girls."

"What is your…talent?" I asked. Afraid to even know.

"Would you believe me if I told you I can…fly," he said in a dramatic way.

"Horse feathers!"

"But I can."

"You mean like Dracula," I said and he laughed. "You turn into a big ole' bat and…fly," I then said, which only caused him to laugh harder.

"No my dear, only shape shifters and werewolves can change form. I can just fly," he said, giving me an amused smile. "You have a lot to learn."

"You mean more like Superman?"

"Dearest, I am no Superman. I am vampire," he said still amused by my wide eyed reaction. "Maybe later I can show you Superman," he then said, wiggling his eyebrows. I blushed again.

Izzy came back with a white and pink striped scarf trailing behind her. Eric smiled down at her. He helped her with the scarf. She giggled as he gently wrapped it around her neck. Then he helped her with her rosy pink mittens. He playfully kissed her cheek and hoisted her up into his arms. He leaned over and whispered in my ear, "Trust me. Pam will be right outside, watching over you."

"I have got to see this," I said as I followed Eric out to the front porch. Eric carried Izzy to the bottom of the steps while I leaned against the porch rail.

"Ready, my little Valkyrie?" Eric asks the bundle in his strong arms. Izzy giggles as Eric hovers a few feet in the air. I stared in astonishment. He looked as though he was suspended from an invisible wire.

"That's all?" Izzy said in disappointment. Eric laughed.

"No, I need you to hold tight, my little one. It's just that I don't think your mother believes me," Eric said, giving me a smirk. I just stood there in shock. "Wave to your mother. We won't be gone long."

Izzy's little hand waved at me. "Be careful, baby," I managed to say. Eric floated closer to the front porch.

"I will hold on to her for dear life," Eric whispered in my ear and kissed my cheek. Before I knew it, Eric was nowhere to be seen. I looked up into the sky and saw nothing. I turned around to go back into the house and there to my surprise stood Pam. I didn't even hear her coming up the porch steps.

"Your child will be safe. Eric is quite fond of her," Pam tells me. "In fact, that is all he ever seems to talk about these nights. I have never seen him so happy."

"Do you want to come inside?" I asked Pam. I didn't think Pam was dressed for standing outside in the woods. She definitely wasn't dressed for fighting if any danger was lurking. Pam gave me a grateful smile and followed me inside.

Pam sat down on the couch. I offered her a TrueBlood and when it had warmed, put it on the coffee table in front of her. She watched me as I picked up the cross-stitch I had been working on. Something I learned when I was in rehab. It soothed my nerves if I kept my hands busy. Pam wasn't very talkative at the moment. She just sat there and watched me.

Finally she broke the silence, "I remember doing such a thing when I was human. The ladies of the house had hobbies. My sister liked to paint," she said, sharing. I had a strong feeling that vampires aren't the 'sharing' type. "Our housemaid taught me how to do embroidery. I enjoyed it so."

"Would you like to try it again?" I asked her. I pulled some cloth and thread out of my bag and laid them out on the table in front of her. I even gave her my extra set of needles. She rewarded me with a fangy smile.

"I'd love to," she said as she helped herself. She secured the cloth between the hoops and began. I offered her a pattern, but she refused. "I have an idea of what I want to make," she said and started threading her needle through the cloth. Pam decided to get chatty. "You know, I have read your Dear Abby. She is a wise woman. I can learn a lot from her," she said and I gave her a small smile.

"I'm glad," I responded.

"I think I'm going to start reading your human newspapers. I have found they contain more than the usual murder and mayhem. I really like the lifestyle section. Those humans they call celebrities are quite interesting."

"If you like that, you might like these," I said, placing Cosmo, People and The National Enquirer on the coffee table. So sue me! My secret vice is tabloids.

"My, these do look quite interesting. I could probably learn a lot from this one," Pam said, looking at Cosmo.

"You can keep them. I've already read them," I said, holding back a giggle. I couldn't help but smile at the vampire.

"Eric told me that you have been in what is called rehab. He told me that you used to pollute yourself," Pam said and my inner laughter subsided. I never liked having my old skeletons brought out of the closet.

"Yes I was," I simply answered Pam. Doing my best to keep my voice calm.

"Humans haven't changed all that much then. In my day, opium dens were quite popular. One time I even went to one against my parents wishes. In fact, they had no idea I would even sneak out of the house. I was a bit of a wild one in my day. A lady is not supposed to be seen in pubs or even know about opium dens, but that never stopped me. It wasn't hard to get hooked in. In fact, one night I met a man while I was at the opium den. He was an aspiring writer. I was so foolish then," Pam reminisced. "I probably could have used this rehab if we even had such a thing then. If it wasn't for Eric, I could have been dead. Well at least a different sort of dead," Pam then said with a small giggle. Despite the moment of levity Pam had, I could see that her eyes told me otherwise. She looked sad and even regretful. The same look I saw when I looked in the mirror once in a while. The look that tells you that you might have been something if you hadn't been wasting your brain cells .

"Andy saved me," I said. Pam looked at me for a moment.

"Your little pup saved you?"

"He did. If I hadn't gotten pregnant with him, I know I would have been dead," I said. Pam put down her cross-stitch and reached over to take my hand. She gave it a gentle squeeze.

"I am far from the motherly sort, Belinda. Even as a human, but I do envy you," she said. I give her a smile. Strange, I never thought I would ever have anything in common with Pam, but I guess I have more in common with her than I realize.

Pam and I bonded over cross-stitch, herbal tea, and TrueBlood. We discussed everything from the latest Hollywood gossip that Pam had recently read about to fashion. Pam seemed to like fashion. I, myself live in a mom's world, I like to keep my look basic. Then she dragged out another old skeleton.

"Eric told me that you used to work at a werewolf bar."

"I did," I simply answered. I could see that Pam was trying to choose her words carefully.

"Awful creatures if you ask me. I'm sure your son isn't that way, but most are just dirty animals."

"I raised my Andy with love and to have a courageous heart. My boy is a fighter. I don't consider him a dirty animal, Pam. The Weres I used to work for are awful, nasty animals and a few other things a lady shouldn't say. It upsets me that Andy is a werewolf. He never asked for it. If I weren't so stupid," I said, tears falling from my eyes. Pam was unsure how to take the emotional human before her. She gives me the same blank look that Izzy usually gives.

"Please don't leak, Belinda. I am not used to this," Pam said, looking stoic.

"I'm sorry, Pam. It just upsets me when I have to hear my boy put in the same category as those types of werewolves. Andy isn't like that," I said, feeling kind of bad for my outburst. It's probably been a long, long time since Pam has had to deal with people. From now on, I'll think of her as an adult version of Izzy. At least until she learns how to act more human.

"I understand, Belinda. I would be very upset if anyone spoke ill of Eric. I don't think I would leak though. I'd probably just kill them," Pam said in a matter of fact way. One lesson I learned tonight above all; don't make Pam mad.

The front door opened. I heard crying. Izzy's crying. I got up to see what's the matter. Eric stood there holding my daughter. Izzy's face buried in his chest and holding on to him for dear life.

"It's not what you think it is, Belinda," Eric said quickly. "She laughed and we even got to see your son running with the pack. It wasn't until…." Eric looked over at Pam. They both looked concerned.

"I saw the bad man," Izzy sobbed. "He's a werewolf! Just like Andy and his dad!"

My heart sank. Pam caught me as I stumbled. Izzy clutched at Eric. Eric spoke something foreign to Pam. It sounded Swedish. Pam nodded and headed out the door at vampire speed.

I managed to pry Izzy from Eric's arms. I got the coat off of her. I even took her to her room so I could put her in her nightgown. She shook the whole time. She refused to leave my side. After I took care of Izzy, I was exhausted and ready for bed. I told Izzy that she could sleep with me for the night. I crawled in next to her. She snuggled right up against me. Then Eric decided to join us. Instead of stripping down to just his underwear. He only took off his jeans, shoes and socks. He had on a pair of conservative boxer shorts and his t-shirt. I'm sure he did this out of respect for Izzy. He slid in next to Izzy so she felt protected. He held both of us in his arms. Izzy fell asleep. "No harm shall come to you," he whispered to me. "Pam and Clancy are guarding the house. I will be here if he tries to break in. Now get some sleep."

I fell fast asleep despite the situation. I opened my eyes sometime before sunrise. I thought I saw Eric go inside my closet before going back to sleep.


	26. Chapter 26

**Warning! Subtle Spoiler Alert and Shameless teary eyed Oscar speech! I have added a small element from Dead in the Family. I thought I would address this for those who haven't read it yet and now for my Oscar Speech: I want to thank treewitch703 for the superb beta work she has put into this story. I want to also thank my reader for their love and support. I want to thank DeeDee, mistress of another site that has featured this story. Thank you all! I really truly do mean it!**

I woke up to my daughter jumping on my bed, fully dressed and ready to start her day. Blue jeans, long sleeved purple Hello Kitty tee and hair up in pigtails. What the…? Then I caught the scent of turkey. Okay, what's up?

"Morning baby. Who dressed you?" I had to cut to the chase.

"Auggie. She is making Thanksgiving for us," Izzy replied.

The door was pushed open by the child sized elf/fairy or whatever the hell she was. It's early and I'm not much of a morning person. Although, God bless her, she had a steaming mug of coffee for me. She put it on the dresser and gave me that bright eyed, pointy toothed smile. Hate to admit it, but I'm getting quite used to it. Today she wore a more subdued palette of colors. Green highlights in her white hair. Brown hooded sweatshirt with pumpkin colored piping. Skinny jeans and her beat up Docs. No crazy cartoon characters that I could see, but I suspected there was one lurking under her sweatshirt somewhere. She dressed in the colors of the season. That was no big surprise.

Auggie joined Izzy on the end of my bed. The mattress didn't shift under her weight like it did Izzy's. I

supposed it has to do with her otherness. Auggie's ears stuck out from her baby fine straight hair. She sat cross legged. Still smiling. Probably the warmest smile she can give with those teeth. I wondered why Auggie never filed her teeth down like her father did?

"Because I never saw a need to hide who I was. Besides, it's such a hassle," Auggie answered, reading my thoughts again.

"What are you doing here?" I asked Auggie.

"I saw that you didn't have anything for Thanksgiving. I wasn't sure if you were one of those humans that didn't believe in holidays? Then I thought about how I would feel being alone on a day where so many are celebrating. Then I thought, Astir, what would you do? Come over and visit my friends anyway, holiday or not. So here I am," Auggie (who, I guess, still thought of herself as Astir) said, giving me a thoughtful look. I smiled at her.

"You know, I've been so busy getting settled in that I forgot. Thanks Auggie," I said. I wanted to ask her how much I owed her for the food, but thought I better not in front of Izzy.

"Think nothing of it. You don't owe me a dime," Auggie answered my thoughts again. She got off my bed and went to check on the food. Izzy followed her with pigtails bouncing. "The wolf should be coming soon to drop off your son," Auggie turned around to say as I closed my bedroom door.

Andy. I wondered how my boy's night went? I hope he was safe and enjoyed his first real hunt as a wolf. Then I thought of that bastard, T-Bone. I hope he meets his fate at the hands of a vampire instead of the end of that rifle in my son's bedroom closet.

I showered and went to my closet. I remembered seeing Eric duck into my closet. I closed my heavy bedroom drapes before checking it out. Everything inside looked as it usually did. No dead bodies sleeping here. I moved back my clothes and started lightly pounding the walls. There had to be some sort of secret room in here. I gave up and just accepted that I was never going to find anything.

I slipped into a pair of jeans and a green sweater. The smell of the turkey reached my nose. I thought of Daddy Joe and our Thanksgivings. My children and I usually celebrated the holiday with that old coot. Now I needed to go see if Auggie needed any help.

Izzy silently played with a couple of Barbies on the living room coffee table. I kissed her forehead as I passed her on the way to the kitchen.

"It's okay, Mom. Eric and Auggie won't let the bad man get us," she said. I knew there had to be another reason for the pint sized woman's visit. Eric must have called her.

"No he didn't," I heard Auggie say from the kitchen. "I had this planned for a while now. I've always wanted to celebrate a human holiday with average humans that weren't all rich and formal. I like you, B. I like your kids too. I haven't ever had the chance to know normal humans before. I was always hired by the wealthy humans and supes. Royalty can actually be a boring lot. I jumped at the chance when the North man explained your situation to me. He never told me about the werewolf. Your daughter told me about that during my first visit here. Yes, I am more than capable of taking down a rogue wolf, but that is not what I was hired to do. I was hired to take care of and protect your children. If he happens to come around

when I'm here, I'll do what I must," Auggie said with the most serious look on her face that I've ever seen. She may be small and seem inconsequential, but Auggie was full of fire at that moment. I never thought someone so small could be so scary. "Besides, I consider you my friend. Friends always have each other's backs," Auggie then said with softened features. She came up to me and gave me a hug. I felt her love.

Auggie wouldn't be considered a dwarf. She was in proportion to her size. I'd guess she was probably four foot eight with bare feet. She moved gracefully as she whisked around the kitchen, making sure everything was just so. I helped her with making the dressing and cranberry sauce. Auggie worked on the bird. A turkey big enough to feed an army.

"Better too much than not enough," she told me with a wink of an eye. Auggie was a supernatural Martha Stewart despite the fact that she looked fifteen. She even made time for a homemade pecan pie. We both had a good old time girl bonding and occasionally glancing at the television to watch the Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Around noon, a black truck pulled into the drive. It was Alcide's truck. I ran out and hugged my boy. I know it was only the first night, but I missed him. He hugged me back. Izzy even had to give her brother a hug. Andy picked her up like she weighed next to nothing.

"Eric took me flying," Izzy told her brother. Andy looked surprised. Alcide smirked.

"He took you flying, Iz? You mean like in an airplane?" Andy asks her.

"No, like Superman. Eric can fly like Superman," Izzy said nonchalantly way.

"He can fly. That's pretty cool Iz," Andy says, giving his sister a warm smile.

"Yeah. I got to see you and your dad hunt. You look just like him, only he's bigger," Izzy said. "You were chasing a rabbit."

"Yes I was," Andy says.

"Caught the critter in no time," Alcide whispers proudly into my ear. Damn that man smelled good!

"Then I saw the bad man. Only he was a wolf like you and your dad," Izzy tells Andy. Andy's smile dropped. Then I heard a low growl resonating from his throat. Alcide frowns at me.

"It's a long story," I said to my baby's daddy.

"I'd like to hear it," Alcide said.

"Not around the kids," I responded.

"That's why you got a rifle with silver shot?" Alcide wasn't going to give up.

"Eric gave me that rifle so I can protect my family," Andy intervened. I put my head into my hand. I didn't want to be dealing with this right now.

"Northman gave my boy a rifle? How could you let him do that?" Alcide raised his voice at me.

"The boy knows how to use a gun," A small voice said before I had a chance to answer. I look to the porch to see Auggie standing in the doorway. "Besides, Andy is more Belinda's boy than yours, _**wolf**_. She is only doing what's best for her family," Auggie said, standing up to someone twice her size.

"I didn't know you have three kids," Alcide snapped out.

"I am not a child, _**wolf**_. I am a woman. A much, much older woman," Auggie said as she descended the porch steps and stood in front of Alcide, craning her neck to look up into his eyes. Auggie looked like a little kid next to Alcide. She shook her straight short baby fine hair back so that he could see the pointed ears. She gave him a menacing smile, showing off all her small sharp teeth. Alcide's eyes widened.

"What are you?" Alcide mumbled.

"Well, I'm not a child. I think we already established that," Auggie said, looking at her nails. "If I were human, I'd be

considered a dwarf or little person... I think we can rule that out," Auggie said, looking back up at Alcide. Alcide just nodded. "If you are nice and say please, I guess I might tell you," Auggie then said as a bright light formed in the palm of her hand. The kids and I just stood there and stared.

Alcide was at a loss for words, then he finally said the magic word, "Please," he mumbled.

"Would you believe I'm a cross breed. I am half elf and half fairy," Auggie finally said with a playful smile. The light faded from her palm. "Because you said the magic word, I'd also like to extend an invite to you, Mr. Herveaux. Since you are not on speaking terms with your father. I was wondering if you would like to join our little Thanksgiving Feast? I have made plenty."

"How did you know?" Alcide asked, stunned.

"Lucky guess. At least he didn't abjure you. That would have been bad," Auggie said as Alcide still looked stunned. I let out a laugh.

"Don't ask. Just answer her," I tell him as I patted his shoulder. Alcide looked over at me and I just smiled.

"I guess I have no where else to go. Sure I'll join you," Alcide said.

"Goody! The more the merrier!" Auggie said as she skipped back into the house.

"She's a strange little critter," Alcide mumbled. I just smiled as I let him in.

"Mom, remind me not to mess with Auggie," Andy then mumbled in my ear as he passed me. Izzy just looked straight ahead at Alcide. I wondered what was going on in that brain of hers. Izzy seemed wary of Alcide.

"Make yourself at home," I tell Alcide. He gave me a smile and sat in my favorite chair. Izzy had been watching the parade and some cartoons.

"Can I watch the game sweetheart?" Alcide asks Izzy. Izzy frowned at the big man and went off to her bedroom.

"You can watch whatever you want to now. Seems Izzy decided to go to her room," I tell Alcide and handed him the remote. His hand brushed mine. I blushed and he did too.

"Thank you, Belinda," he mutters. Andy rolled his eyes. My boy liked Alcide, but he loved his Mom. My boy had seen me go all gaga with lust before. He had seen it turn out bad too.

"Not a problem," I said softly before heading back into the kitchen.

Auggie grins at me from ear to ear as she worked on her sweet potato casserole. "Afraid the wolf is going to bite you?" she said in a playful way. I just laughed.

"No, besides he's taken," I said.

"That Debbie Pelt brat. That girl has been nothing but trouble," Auggie muttered.

"Izzy doesn't seem to care for her much and she doesn't even know her. Claims the woman shot her angel or some such," I told Auggie. Auggie laughed.

"The Pelts hired me once. I was nanny for Debbie and her sister. There was no getting through to those two. Bad to the bone," Auggie said nonchalantly. "Your daughter may be on to something though."

"I don't know, Auggie. She's been giving Alcide a hard time whenever she sees him. I don't know what's going on in her head sometimes. Between the autism and the visions… It's just too much," I said.

"Could this angel of hers happen to be Eric Northman?"

"I think so. Why?"

"Izzy likes to talk about him. She tells me that he is going to protect her, even when she is bigger. That's what she tells me," Auggie said with a tender smile.

"She made these drawings at the restaurant I used to work at. I still have them," I said, sorting through my purse. I pulled out the plain white place mats with the crayon drawings. I handed them to Auggie. She looked at them with interest. She pulled out the one of the two blond figures. One had a stake going through it. Looked like the stake was in the stomach area.

"This is what's to come. That's all I can tell you," she says. Then she looked at the most disturbing one of all the four drawings. One of a redheaded figure lying on the ground with legs bent in an unnatural way. The stick figure appeared to be wearing glasses and a black dress. A blond figure stood above her. A frown hit Auggie's face.

"All I can tell you about this one is; whatever you do, do not stand near a sink when you are at the bar during the day. Especially three years from now. I'm probably making a big mistake telling you this. I'm not one to interfere," Auggie said abruptly.

"Why?"

"Just trust me on this one, Belinda. I can't tell you any more. I promised myself long ago never to interfere. There is only one time I should have…" Tears began to well up in her bright blue eyes. I reached out and took her hand.

"We're friends," was all I could say.

"It happened in Russia. I was au pair to the Romanov family. That bastard, Rasputin. I should have stopped him when I had the chance. The evil he has set in motion…" Auggie sobbed.

"That was long ago. The evil is long gone. Communism has fallen since then," I said, trying my best to soothe her.

"I'm not talking human politics. There is evil that has come about from the Romanov's death. It still roams the earth to this day. Rasputin made a deal with a vampire. I've told you way too much, Belinda. Forget I ever breathed a word of this," Auggie said, as she calmed down. I was curious if the infamous Rasputin was a vampire, it wouldn't surprise me. "Rasputin is good and dead. Let's just leave it at that," Auggie then said. I didn't want to push the touchy subject any farther.

Aside from strange revelations that made no sense to me and a pissy werewolf, Auggie served the best

Thanksgiving dinner ever. The table only seated four. Auggie offered her place to Alcide, but Izzy wasn't having it. Auggie set up a card table and chairs. I was tempted to make Izzy and Andy sit there, but thought the better of it. Izzy wouldn't like the concept of the kiddie table. Instead Alcide kindly sat at the card table. He understood that there was no changing my daughter. Andy took his plate and sat with him. I guess instead of a kiddie table we had a wolfie table. Izzy never protested. I guess that deep down she knew that Andy wanted to sit with his father.

The doorbell rang. Auggie stood up from the table. "We have one more guest," she said and headed for the door. Daddy Joe came hobbling in with his cane. "You must be the one Belinda calls Daddy Joe?" Auggie asked.

"I am, little lady. Smells mighty nice. Am I late?" Daddy Joe asked Auggie. Auggie smiled.

"No. You're just in time," Auggie says warmly as she helped the old man to the dining area.

"There's my honey child and bayou princess," Daddy Joe says as he gave me a hug. "How's my pup?" he asked Andy. Then he noticed Alcide. He gave Alcide a long look. Alcide just smiled at the old man. Alcide stood up, making Daddy Joe appear even more frail. "I knew the smell of wolf was strong in here," Daddy Joe said. He looked at Andy and then to Alcide again. "You must be my pup's father. Can't deny it," Daddy Joe said.

"Alcide Herveaux," Alcide said with a nod.

"Daddy Joe. No last name. Bastards can track you down with a last name. Daddy Joe, hunter," the old man said with a serious look. Alcide seemed amused until he saw the silver chain around the old man's neck. Attached to that chain was a wolf's claw. Larger than the run of the mill wolf. Then he spotted the key fob the old man kept fastened to his belt loop. Five vampire fangs and two werewolf claws. Daddy Joe made good and sure Alcide saw his trophies. Daddy Joe played with the key fob. "Funny thing about vamper teeth. They don't turn to ash like the rest of the body does. Werewolf claws aren't as easy to get. Got to pull it from the body before the beast dies," Daddy Joe said with a protective gaze.

"Daddy Joe! You know how I feel about that kind of talk in front of the kids," I scolded the old man.

"Just making sure Mr. Herveaux knows his place," Daddy Joe says, giving me a wink and that wonderfully playful smile of his. "You know my rule for hunting, honey child."

"We are only allowed to hunt rogues," Andy interrupted.

"You're not a rogue? Are you Mr. Herveaux?" Daddy Joe asked the big man before him.

"No sir," Alcide answered.

"Good! 'Cuz I don't have to show you my silver blade I keep in this cane," Daddy Joe said with a glint in his eyes.

"I won't have that kind of behavior, Daddy Joe," I said.

"Can't an old man have his fun? Don't meet many werewolves running the shack. How I miss the good 'ole days," Daddy Joe says playfully. Alcide smiles. Daddy Joe looks up at him with a serious face. "Don't hurt my pup or honey child in any way or I'll hurt you."

"I have no intentions, sir," Alcide answered respectfully.

"Good! With that said; I'm hungry and the little lady looks like she has slaved to bring us this good meal. Let's discuss my pup's first hunting experience," Daddy Joe then said.


	27. Chapter 27

**I want to dedicate this chapter to all those people who have endured disasters lately. You never know how good you have it until you turn on the evening news. It's heart-wrenching to see the people of Japan and other countries endure these tragedies. I would also thank my wonder beta, treewitch703 and also my readers! I love you all!**

It was getting late. I was anxious to hear about my son's first night hunting with his pack.

"Daddy Joe! You should've seen me! I could run like the wind," Andy excitedly told the old man. He didn't dare talk about his kills much. Izzy had shown an uncharacteristic discomfort earlier when Andy mentioned the rabbit. Weird if you think about it. She had no problems with Eric licking the blood off her knee but she cringed at the mere mention of Andy's first kill.

"That's great pup," Daddy Joe said as he tucked some snuff behind his lower lip. The old man knew I didn't like smoking around my kids. Even I smoke whenever they're not around. Then again, I only smoke when my nerves are shot to shit. "Chip off the 'ole block, I'm sure," Daddy Joe said as he glanced in Alcide's direction.

"You made a fine hunter out of him," Alcide complimented the old man.

"It's been tough, but he's been trained by the best," Daddy Joe said, proudly.

"Oh Daddy Joe! Quit braggin' on yourself," I tell the old man. He gives me that shit eating grin of his. I just laugh.

"Hate to cut it short. You know I can't drive too well in the dark," Daddy Joe declared. Of course it didn't help that he drove a car older than the hills. A nineteen fifty-eight, cherry fire engine red Plymouth Fury. A beautiful piece of machinery that the old coot bought brand new off the lot and he kept it looking that way. A vintage car aficionado's wet dream. Daddy Joe only drove his car on special occasions. Usually he drives a Chevy truck made about the same year. Old Betsy looked more like a junkyard find.

"I made you an extra plate for later," Auggie tells Daddy Joe.

"That's kind of you, little lady," Daddy Joe tells her. Daddy Joe seemed to have warmed up to Auggie. Guess she had a way about her. Auggie handed him the wrapped up Styrofoam plate and gave Daddy Joe a hug. Daddy Joe whispered something into her ear. Auggie nodded. Then I thought I heard her say, "You know I will."

"Belinda, come and walk me to my car," Daddy Joe says after a round of hugs. I do as he says. I would never dare help him down the steps, but I do offer to take the plate. Crazy old man and his old man's pride.

He opened the car door and turned to me. I gave him the plate which he puts on the passenger seat. He turned back to me with a serious look on his face.

"That vamper has treated you well. Can't deny that," he said. "Just by looking at the place and seeing how healthy the little ones are. I couldn't have given you all this."

"You've given me a lot more," I said with slightly upturned lips. "I never expected all this."

"I'm sure you didn't. The pup is getting to know his father."

"You would've found him eventually."

"Maybe or maybe not. Never expected to find him in our own backyard, cher."

"I had faith in you," I said.

"In an old man who can't hardly walk and can't even drive at night anymore? I'm not much of a hunter these days," Daddy Joe said, looking dejected. The first time I'd ever seen that look. "Wish I could stick around and meet the fanged bastard. He'd probably be the first vamper I'd shake hands with."

"You don't have much trust in Supes,do you?" I asked the old man.

"Met my fair share of 'em, honey chile. I know what those bastards are capable of."

"Marie," I mumbled the name. The name of Daddy Joe's late wife.

Daddy Joe had opened up to me about the only love of his life. A woman he met during the roaring twenties, when Daddy Joe was a young man in his second decade. At the time he hunted gators and she was a backwater witch that lived on the bayou. She was only seventeen at the time and living all alone in a rickety old shack.

Marie was the one who discovered that Daddy Joe was more than just a hunter. Daddy Joe was unaware of the supernatural world at the time, but he always suspected that there was more than just the human race.

Daddy Joe was a handsome young man with dark blond hair and piercing blue eyes. You couldn't see it in the old black and white pictures, but you could in some of the ones taken with a Kodachrome. In fact, Daddy Joe has shown me all his photos.

Marie had the look of an old pinup. Wavy red hair and emerald green eyes. Leggy and curvaceous with full red lips. She looked quite the opposite of an old swamp witch.

In the black and white ones, Marie and Daddy Joe always seemed happy and peaceful. A young couple, madly in love. The color ones showed an older woman with a younger man. Daddy Joe aged more slowly than his Marie. He explained to me that that was his curse and the curse of so many other hunters. They were slightly stronger than the average human and had a slightly longer life span. That is if they managed to survive that long.

Daddy Joe was actually well over a hundred years old even though he looked like he was in his late seventies, maybe early eighties. His curse, I thought to myself many times over. He confessed to me that it was even more of a curse when you fell in love.

He told me of Marie's growing jealousy over him. She felt old and unwanted even though she was three years his junior. She tried spells and old wives remedies to stay young, but all to no avail. She even drank the blood of a werewolf once, but that only made her ill. The backwater swamp witch that lived alone in a shack was also very vain.

Marie became vainer after they moved to New Orleans. Daddy Joe felt he needed to be closer to the supernatural action. Vampires loved the city and Daddy Joe was getting tired of only hunting Weres. But the city corrupted the once vibrant Marie. She fell into the world of voodoo and black magic.

One rainy night in the French Quarter, Marie encountered her first vampire. A vampire that Daddy Joe had spent his nights tracking. She seduced Marie and promised her immortality. The vampire went by the name, Elizabeth Bathory. He searched night after night for the infamous Blood Countess and his Marie. Word was out through the hunters circle that the evil countess made her way to the shores of the new world. Many hunters had perished at the hands of this evil woman. Daddy Joe planned on being the exception.

The vampire spoke with a seductive accent. She carried herself like the royalty of old. Long dark hair framed her delicate face. Eyes as black as pitch. She told Marie that she had come to America from Hungary and that the trip had been long. The vampire preferred old fashioned dress in the finest lace and velvet. She lured the then forty year old Marie to her hotel room.

The Blood Countess was high on his list of priorities. He tracked her through the French Quarter to the red light district. Daddy Joe spotted her seducing a red headed woman who stood almost a head taller than the regal vampire. He couldn't see the woman's face, but he knew that the poor thing was not going to make it out alive or even undead. The Blood Countess hadn't turned anyone in centuries. This creature is probably going to be drained and turned into her evening bath. The Blood Countess had to have adapted the rarity of virgins in a place like New Orleans.

Daddy Joe followed the two women to the hotel. He knew to keep his distance and his steps light. He watched as the petite vampire led her prey through the halls and corridors of the elegant hotel. Daddy Joe kept a watchful eye out for security. Surely someone would quickly escort the rough looking man out of such an establishment.

The Blood Countess moved with frightening grace as she escorted the taller woman to the best suite the hotel had to offer . Daddy Joe slipped out the window at the end of the hall.

A grand series of wrought Iron balconies wrapped around the entire hotel. Daddy Joe had it easy. He wanted to find the room before Elizabeth Bathory had her way with the woman. He only wished that the vampire was alone.

He carried , a small crossbow with silver tipped arrows hidden under his long duster. He wore his silver crucifix and a St. Christopher medallion. He also carried two wooden stakes, some silver chain and as his final resort, his revolver loaded with precious silver bullets. He held the crossbow at the ready while he watched the countess arrange the woman on the large four poster bed. Daddy Joe still could not see the woman's face. The countess started to unbutton the cotton dress the woman wore. Daddy Joe took aim with the crossbow. He could only distract her with this shot. He didn't want to kill the vampire while the vampire straddled the woman. He never liked the trauma the victims experienced.

The Blood Countess nibbled on the woman's neck. The countess' hair covered the woman's face. The countess loved the taste of witch, even one as natural as Marie. Daddy Joe told me long ago that vampires taste for blood is like that of a human eating steak or drinking wine. Each type had a different taste.

Daddy Joe took a shot at the vampire's shoulder blade and hit. The vampire hissed, looking for her sniper. Daddy Joe's heart sank when he saw Marie lying on the bed. "How dare you," Marie yelled, looking up at her husband. Daddy Joe ignored his wife. He focused on the vampire.

Elizabeth Bathory was very old and very strong. She pulled the arrow from her shoulder. Daddy Joe shot her again, this time in her stomach and then her other shoulder. The countess moved fast. Daddy Joe whipped the chain around her neck and pulled hard. The tiny vampire threw him around like a rag doll. Then he managed to knock the petite woman to the floor. Daddy Joe moved fast. Marie glared at her husband in action. Daddy Joe told me that she never seen him kill before, not a Supe. Daddy Joe straddled the vampire and then took one of the stakes and rammed it into the countess' heart. Her body turned to ash and flaked away. Marie just lay there, in shock.

Marie started in with Daddy Joe after the shock wore off. She accused him of taking away her only hope to be young again. Daddy Joe looked about the hotel suite for any hidden 'surprises'. He opened the bathroom door to find the bathtub half filled with blood and the body of a naked prostitute hanging over it with blood slowly draining from the upside-down body. Marie took one look and Daddy Joe covered her mouth. He held her close.

"That vamper bitch had no intentions of turning you, Marie," Daddy Joe told his wife. "She was the devil." Daddy Joe held her. Marie cried.

Even in 1940, Daddy Joe was far from the clean cut American image of that time. While the boys went off to war to fight the Nazis, Daddy Joe fought a different sort of war. He wore his thick hair long because in the bayou there are no barbers. Every photo of him taken in that era he had his hair neatly pulled back. He dressed sort of like an outlaw from the old west right down to the cowboy boots. In some pictures he shaved and in some he didn't.

Marie learned to love herself after that night. Daddy Joe took great care of his wife. He saved the fangs. He made two necklaces out of them. He wore one and Marie wore the other one. The necklaces symbolized their renewed love for one another.

Marie gave up the voodoo and black magic. She wanted a new beginning. That was when Marie and Daddy Joe packed up and moved to Shreveport. Marie opened the restaurant using her Grandmother's old recipes. Daddy Joe helped out when he wasn't hunting. At that time Daddy Joe looked every bit of twenty-three even though he was twenty years older than that. Patrons joked with Marie about her 'younger man,' but Marie paid no mind. She learned that her looks aren't everything.

The two ran the shack for many years until in the seventies, Marie fell ill. Daddy Joe couldn't care for her any longer and had Marie put into a home. She lived until 1985 when the Alzheimer's took her life. Daddy Joe has been on his own ever since. He never fell in love again, at least not romantically.

I held onto the old man, giving him a hug. "Marie happened a long time ago, Belinda. I'm past all that now. I'm just happy to see that the North Man has taken great care of you and the kids, even if he's a fanged bastard," Daddy Joe said, giving me that mischievous smile of his.

"Daddy Joe," I scolded. "What do you think of Alcide?"  
"Never trust the furry kind much either, but he seems like a good egg for a wolf. Can't deny Andy is his, that's for sure," Daddy Joe replied. "Look hon, I gotta go. Can't be burning the midnight oil. You take care, cher," Daddy Joe said and kissed my cheek. I shut his car door and wished him well.

I stood out on the drive alone. All the sudden, out of the woods, a hand grabbed me by the arm, pulling me into the trees and away from the drive.

"They can't see you from the house you goddamn whore," a voice grumbled from the darkness. A voice I haven't heard in years. "I ain't got much time, so I'll make this visit short and sweet. I don't want you screaming for help either. You understand me, skank?"

I just nodded. I know what T-Bone DeMarcus is capable of. He would claw my throat out without a second thought if I were to alert someone.

"Good. You were always a good little whore when you wanted to be. I know there is that rich asshole of a Were in there along with your half-pint Were. You have also taken up fangbanging these days," he said. Fangbanging? What the hell did he mean by that?

"I gotta tell you B. You were always a fine piece of ass. It's a shame I have to give you this ultimatum. Either give me the pup or I'll come and get the both of you. I won't be so nice, whore. Bring him to Monroe! Alone," he hissed out the last part.

Then T-Bone shoved me hard onto the gravel drive. I yelped and looked to the tree to find a pair of glowing yellow eyes and the black outline of a wolf. The animal quickly sped back into the trees. I felt the stings of the scrapes on my cheek and knees. I managed to get back up onto my feet. I looked to the darkening sky for a moment before going back inside.

Auggie was the first to see me. She frowned and took my hand. We quietly slipped into the bathroom before anyone could see us. Auggie started to dig through the medicine cabinet.

"What the hell happened out there, B?" Auggie asked me with concern written all over her face.

"T-Bone," I whispered. Auggie's eyes widened.

"You should've called for help," she said as she quit her act of going through the medicine cabinet. Instead, she sat me down on the toilet. She cupped my stinging cheek into her small hand. "Please close your eyes. I've been told that this can be a little bright," she then said. I did as I was told. I felt the sting go away, then a tingling, then I felt…nothing. "Good," she chirped. "Now I need you to take off your pants." I did as I was told. "Looks like you're going to have some bruising. No matter. You can watch this time if you want. It won't hurt your eyes because you're not so close," she then said. I was curious. I felt the scrape on my cheek. It was gone. Auggie looked up at me with a shy smile. "All part of who I am. I think it came from my Mom's side," she said in a matter of fact way. She took my hand and sat me back down on the toilet. "Promise you won't tell," she then said.

"I promise," I managed to respond.

"Pinky swear?" she asked, playfully and held up her pinky. I smiled and wrapped my pinky around hers.

"I pinky swear," I said with a smile.

"This certain power comes in useful when your job for the past fifteen hundred years is watching over spirited children. You know how little ones are," Auggie said as she cupped her hand over my knee. Light shone from her hand. I watched in total amazement as the scrape disappeared. She did the same with my other knee. "I think I got all the big ones, now for the bruises. This will take less magic. Do you care to tell me what happened out there? It's obvious that this happened after the hunter left," Auggie said with that same concern in her eyes.

She gently rubbed my leg with occasional sparks of light coming from her fingers. Places where the bruises would show. I caught my breath. "He wants me to give him Andy," I finally said. Auggie stopped for a moment.

"Did you tell him that he can't have him? Because he can't," Auggie said in that matter of fact way again.

"He wouldn't allow me to talk," I said as the tears formed. "He told me to give him Andy and he'll leave me alone," I sobbed.

"That asshole! I won't allow it and neither will Eric. You guys are far too special for his grubby hands. Did he mention Izzy?"

"No, just Andy."

"Good, it's working then," she said cryptically and resumed rubbing my other leg.

"What's working?"

"It's nothing. Just a little cloaking spell I haven't used in over a millenia. Nothing for you to worry yourself about," Auggie said as she finished.

"Cloaking spell?"

"He doesn't know about Izzy. That's all," Auggie said as she handed me my jeans.

"You can't cloak me or Andy with it?"

"You can't run forever B. He will find you eventually. I didn't cloak you because you need to stop running. I didn't cloak Andy because he knows you have a son, but he doesn't know you have a daughter. I can't be here all the time as much as I would like to. I at least want to make sure the most defenseless person in this house could be protected. You and Andy are fighters. You two can take care of yourselves, but Izzy can't," Auggie said in a somber tone.

"So my daughter has a protective bubble around her?"

"You could say that. The wolf can't see or even pick up her scent. That doesn't mean she shouldn't hide. She still needs to hide," Auggie said.

I decided to drop the subject. Auggie thought long and hard about what she'd done and she's right. It's high time I stopped hiding.


	28. Chapter 28

**Big thanks for all those patient readers out there. I've had a case of writer's block and I know it's been a while. This is not one of my long chapters either but I hope it's enough. I also want to thank my friend and beta, treewitch 703. I hope you all enjoy!**

Auggie looked me over after I had set myself to rights. She shook her head.

"You need to change clothes. That wolf messed up your lovely sweater when he pushed you down," Auggie said, looking at the snags and stains on my favorite sweater. She took my hand but instead of walking me out of the bathroom she did something else. The only way I can describe it is that the air got thick around us and it shimmered. I felt shivery all over and before I know it, we're standing in my bedroom.

I stood there stunned for a moment. Auggie just looked up at me and smiled. "I didn't want the others to see you like this," she said with sympathetic eyes.

I pulled a gray sweatshirt out of my chest of drawers. Auggie's eyes widened when I pulled off my old sweater. She spotted the two scars above my left breast. Eric had left quite an impression on me, what else can I say?

"Eric will not be happy about this," Auggie said.

"What won't I be happy about?" asked a familiar voice from the direction of my closet.

"Erik," Auggie said, surprised and then she spoke in what I guess must have been Old Norse.

The two carried on a conversation that I couldn't understand. It sounded like a rolling fight of words. Both my name and Andy's tumbled out among the strange words; Eric addressed Auggie by her old name, Astir. Auggie kept saying the same word over and over, it seemed to crop up around my name, it sounded like vinr. I'll have to ask her later about that word, right now she was in a heated argument with a stubborn Viking.

"So the wolf attacked her," Eric spat out in disgust. They talked directly to one another as if I were made of cellophane.

"You are here to protect them," Eric said, staring down at the child sized woman. Auggie wasn't going to stand down. Sparks started shooting from her fingertips. Eric's eyes widened and he fell to his knees. It was as if Eric remembered that Auggie was older and more powerful than he was. Forget about Tinkerbell, the elves that make shoes, hell even a lawn gnome could be thought of as scary after witnessing Augustine Spark in all her half breed glory. He hung his head like a dog with its tail between its legs. Auggie then put her small hand under his chin and lifted it up so that he was looking her right in the eye. She gave him a warm smile.

"Remember your place, vampire," Auggie said.

"I do Astir. I am sorry," he said to the creature that was half his size. Auggie pushed his thick blond hair out of his eyes.

"Let's not fight, my friend. We need to kill this wolf. Belinda is too important, as are her children. Without her, your business will suffer," Auggie said to him in a soft voice. "You know I don't like to use my powers to punish you. If I had known that mongrel was out there, I would have killed him with my bare hands. The hunter would have killed him as well. I forgive you, my dear old friend."

Eric reached up and grabbed her hand. There was more to Auggie than I realize. "Vinr," Eric whispered to her and Auggie repeated the strange word giving Eric a warm look, or as warm a look a creature with razor sharp teeth can give.

Auggie turned to me and whispered, "It means friend. I never use that word unless I mean it, vinr." She gives me that same warm look and takes my hand. "We need to get you back out there with your kids, B. You've been out of the room too long."

I turned to Eric who had again raised himself to his impressive stature. I let go of Auggie's hand and went to him. "I promise not breathe a word of this to anyone," I said, referring to the altercation between Eric and Auggie. I guessed Eric to be like most men. His ego wouldn't want anyone to know that he could get his ass handed to him by someone as small as a child much less a child-sized woman. He gave me that patented smirk of his and patted my shoulder.

He leaned down and whispers in my ear, "I know, my vif." Damn, I really needed to learn Old Norse just so I can decipher what had been said. Auggie lets out a giggle and mumbled something that sounds like, "Vampires."

Izzy's eyes lit up when she saw Eric following me and Auggie into the living room. She ran to him and he caught her in his strong hands. Eric lifted her into the air causing my normally emotionless autistic child to giggle. Eric then pulled her into a hug and I saw a certain werewolf cringe, I then glare at said werewolf. Alcide whispered something into my son's ear and Andy whispered back, obviously defending the vampire in the room.

"Did you sleep well?" Izzy asks Eric. It wouldn't surprise me if she knew how to open Eric's super-secret hideout in my house.

"Very well, my little Valkyrie," Eric tells her with that warm smile he only reserves for Izzy.

"Good, that werewolf hurt my Mommy," Izzy says as she leaned into Eric. Alcide eyes widened as he stood up.

"When?" Alcide asked as Andy had that hurt look in his eyes. Andy came to my side moving more quickly than I had ever seen. Andy's irises had that yellow glow to them again. The wolf inside my boy stirred.

"It happened out in the driveway. I've taken care of her wounds. Well at least the ones that can be seen," Auggie said flatly.

"The old man? Where was he at?" Alcide began his questioning.

"He was gone," I managed to say through my tears. Alcide put his hands on my shoulders and looked down at me with frustration.

"Why didn't you let us know he was out there? I would've ripped that bastard apart," Alcide said in a low growl.

"Because T-Bone wouldn't give her the chance. Unarmed human versus werewolf, who do you think is going to win that one, Mr. Herveaux," Auggie said, standing between me and the werewolf all of a sudden. Auggie looked up at Alcide with a serious gleam in her eyes. "Pardon my language because I don't like to use obscenities in front of the children but all I have to say is T-Bone DeMarcus is a sick piece of shit. He wants B's first born and he's not getting him, plain and simple," Auggie then told Alcide. I'm beside myself.

"Mom is this true," Andy quietly says as the glow fades from his eyes. I didn't know what to say so I just nodded. "No! I'm not going with him," Andy then said. I put my arms around him and hold on to him like there's no tomorrow. Andy's my boy and no one else's.

"Damn right you're not going with him," Alcide exclaimed. "You're a part of The Long Tooth Pack now and you're my...son."

"No one is going with anybody as long as I have anything to say about it," says the vampire holding my daughter. I nearly forgot about Eric being in the room. "I don't allow poachers in my territory; you know this to be true, Mr. Herveaux."

"Yes I do, Mr. Northman," Alcide growled back and Eric smirked.

"Don't let the bad man take Mommy and Andy away," Izzy pleaded. Eric gently rubbed her arm and Alcide looked heartbroken as those big blue eyes pleaded with him. Tears started falling from her eyes.

"Aw sweetheart, that bad man will never take your Mom or Andy away," Alcide said to Izzy in a gentle tone. Izzy buried her face into Eric chest as if to shut out the werewolf.

"He will," Izzy sobbed as Eric kept her close. "There is nothing you can do to stop him. I can hide but Mom and Andy can't." Eric kisses Izzy's forehead as she huged him back.

"She is right. I don't think B should hide from him anymore. We need to find a way to destroy this monster instead of bickering amongst ourselves. Particularly the vampire and the wolf," Auggie said, looking up at the two big men. Augustine Spark may have been the smallest person in the room, besides Izzy, but she carried herself like she was ten feet tall. The elf/fairy hybrid might have been a misfit in both our world and the supernatural but there was something commanding about her.

"I can protect Andy and Izzy during the day without it seeming too obvious," she then said. "There are times I'm not going to be around though, half-breed business and all that."

"You mean your job at that head shop," Eric said with a smirk.

"Hey, a girl's got to keep up with what's going on, besides it's not a head shop. It's a magic shop disguised as a head shop slash record store," Auggie said. That answered one of my questions about Auggie. She worked in some kind of hipster head shop to keep up with what's modern. "Besides, I work there for the discounts. Frog's tongues can be very pricey."

"What are you?" Alcide asked for the umpteenth time looking down at her.

"Augustine Spark, elf/fairy hybrid and practitioner of the magical arts, au pair to royalty and now commoners. Don't plan on asking me that question again because the answer is going to be the same," Auggie said, giving the werewolf some 'tude. "Oh yeah, I'm also exactly one thousand, five hundred and fifty eight years old. It's not polite to ask a lady her age much less think it. You're just lucky I'm honest about it," Auggie then said without batting an eye. Alcide just stood there with his jaw agape. Eric smirked.

"I wouldn't make her angry either. She has quite the temper," Eric mused despite the fact that he was holding a shaken little girl. Eric looked down at the bundle of nerves he was holding and whispered something to her. Eric then put her back down on the ground. Izzy went to Andy and took his hand. She led him to the bedrooms. "It's time we discuss important business," Eric then said in a serious tone.


	29. Chapter 29

**I want to thank all my loyal readers out there. My creative draught has ended. I can't thank treewitch 703 enough for her fab beta work. Any writers out there reading this, I can name a few minor characters from book eleven that deserve their own backstory. Don't be afraid to try something new and different. I'm telling you, don't be afraid to jump on in, the waters fine! It don't always have to be about the usual suspects! Thank you all again for the reads and lovely reviews! :)**

So here I am, sitting at my kitchen table with a werewolf (that's pretty much the norm), a vampire and what Eric so nicely calls my new friend, Augustine Spark, half breed. Auggie made tea for Alcide and me while I heated up a blood for Eric. The table was now the setting for quite a different scene than was earlier while we were stuffing our faces full of Thanksgiving turkey and enjoying a nice dinner conversation, even if that conversation was about werewolves and hunting.

"Think we should call the old man back?" Alcide asked.

"No, Daddy Joe is retired, besides he doesn't drive after dark anymore," I said and set the blood down in front of Eric.

"He is just that, an old man," Eric said with a hint of sarcasm. I wanted to smack the shit out of Eric at that moment. Auggie rolled her eyes and snapped her fingers, a small spark of energy shot out and Eric tried to look stoic but cringed anyway. I don't know what kind of relationship Eric and Auggie had in the past but right now I was grateful for it. "Although he did slay the Blood Countess; she was one of the most ruthless vampires to walk the earth," Eric then said nervously as Auggie smirked.

"An old man with one hell of a kill record," I said, proudly. I don't know why I should really be proud of that but I was. I guess if Daddy Joe didn't kill them, there would be a lot more T-Bone DeMarcuses prowling around.

"Let's leave the old man out of this as much as possible. He doesn't need the aggravation anymore. He's paid his dues and then some, but we still must alert him in case this T-Bone bastard tries anything," Auggie said, being the only one in the room with their head screwed on straight.

"Right, I can take care of the night…," Eric said but Andy interrupted him when he came out of Izzy's room.

"Mom! There's some weird vampire staring at Izzy's window. He's licking his fangs," Andy said and I rolled my eyes. Izzy stood behind her brother, obviously shaken up by the experience of being looked at as an all you can eat buffet.

"Clancy," Eric growled. "I told him not to come up to the house."

The doorbell rang and I got up to answer it. By the glow of the porch light, I made out Pam's blond hair and signature smirk through the peep hole. I opened the door and Pam just glided on by me. I never rescinded her invitation like I did Clancy's.

"Eric, what the hell is going on," Pam just blurted out as she just sauntered on in, looking like an undead Alice in Wonderland, wearing a white blouse with a full blue skirt and matching headband. Even her pumps looked like high heeled Mary Janes.

"The mongrel threatened our human tonight," Eric said.

"Werewolves," Pam growled, so much for Alice in Wonderland. "You want Clancy and me to keep watch then."

"Yes, but you need to keep him away from the house," Eric said and Pam rolled her eyes.

"The girl," she huffed and glided back on out of the house.

Izzy moved from behind Andy over to my side. I patted her back and held her close. Izzy may have been emotionless ninety-five percent of the time but when she was scared, it showed. "He's a bad vampire," Izzy ventured. "I don't like him. He's bad. He wants to bite me and Mommy."

"I won't let him, little one. He has to listen to everything I tell him," Eric warmly told my daughter. "I am his boss."

A smile lit up Izzy's face. She let go of me and went to Eric who's sitting at my kitchen table. Eric pulled her onto his lap. There is no way I could ever pry my daughter from that vampire. It seemed like she woke up at night just like Eric did.

A growl rumbled from Alcide's throat. He still didn't like that I let my five year old disabled daughter hang out with a Viking vampire. Not my choice. If Izzy feels safe and comfortable around Eric, than I guess I don't have much to worry about, right? It's not like we got to pick who comes in and out of our lives.

Izzy immediately snuggled close to Eric like a little monkey would its mother. Eric strokes her long sandy hair. Andy must've taken it out of the pigtails for her. Izzy is like most little girls when it came to wearing pigtails. It was okay for like two minutes and then she was ready to have her hair down. I watched as my child transformed around Eric. She became lively, more like a normal little girl.

Then I started thinking about my future and Izzy's . I needed a back-up plan if something happened to me. Andy had a place to go to but not my little girl. If I made a will, Andy would get automatic custody of Izzy once he turned eighteen but the flaw in that is that he is still ten and eight years was a long time for Izzy to be separated from him. I needed someone else in the meantime and my pool of friends was pretty darn shallow. Daddy Joe would be perfect but for his age and the fact that he despised the legal system and the government as a whole.

I wonder if Alcide would be willing to take a two for one package deal on my kids. I really didn't know him all that well but he might be a likely candidate. Then again, for some strange reason, Izzy isn't a big fan of Alcide's. Of course, she does her best to tolerate him for Andy's sake but I could cut the tension with a knife on the rare times Izzy has been around the older Were. Plus there is also the fact that Andy was blood and Izzy wasn't. I doubted if Alcide would be willing to take in a child that wasn't his, much less one with special needs like Izzy's.

I watched for a moment as Eric soothed the sleeping child in his arms. Izzy was out like a light all of a sudden. Then it came to me, what about Eric Northman? Can a creature of the night take care of my little girl? No doubt Eric had the deep pockets it took to make sure her needs were met, but can a vampire as old as Eric truly show her the love she needs? For all I knew, the past weeks could've been some sort of vampire smokescreen, but then again, I have seen bloody tears falling from his brilliant blue eyes. I doubt that Eric would've wanted me to see him so vulnerable. Not a vampire as old as he is.

There were slim pickings when it came to who could take my kids if something awful were to happen to me. Then I thought of Auggie. She definitely was more than capable as a guardian. Izzy loved her bunches and I doubt that Auggie would deny Izzy time with her brother. Then again, what did I know about fairies or elves even? Auggie seemed capable of showing genuine love unlike the vampire or the werewolf Izzy avoided. I really didn't know that much about Auggie but she seemed to know a lot about me just from my thoughts. I shook my head to postpone that worry so I could listen to Auggie talking to Eric and Alcide.

"I'll call off work tomorrow. Esmeralda won't like that too much since its Black Friday and the fact that I've never called in," Auggie says. Auggie was quite a sight when she shows her true self as she was doing right now. She looked up at the two much bigger men with her big blue innocent yet knowing eyes, Auggie had centuries of living and learning under her belt, along with those pointed ears peeking out though her baby fine white hair and a set of choppers that could probably do more damage than a pit bull.

"Head shops have Black Friday specials?" Alcide said, stunned.

"Oh yes, Karma's Backbone does real well on Black Friday. I can make one hell of a commission that day. Humans love their bargains and my winning smile could sell a skateboard to a one legged man," Auggie said with a grin that showed off every pointed tooth in her head . Who knew a creature over a millennium and a half old could have such a sense of humor.

Eric smirked at the tiny woman. "And a little fairy magic doesn't hurt either, I bet?" Eric said.

"My fae magic really isn't that strong. I take after my Pops more than I do my Mom," Auggie responded. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to put up with being around you all these centuries," Auggie then said as she looked up at Eric with a raised white eyebrow.

Alcide cleared his throat to let us all know that he was still there. "I'll contact the pack. We can arrange some guards. That is if Colonel Flood will allow it," he added.

Auggie gave Alcide a stunned look. Eric leaned toward the tiny woman and whispered, "He's not the pack master."

"Oh, I see. His day will come," Auggie whispered back. She then turned back to Alcide and said, "That would be a great help to me if he does."

"He will," Eric then said. "The pack still owes me a favor or two, especially your father, Mr. Herveaux."

Alcide let out a low growl but strangely held his head down. There was something I was missing here between Eric and Alcide. "He hit you up for some more money again," Alcide then said.

"I paid his debts at the casino," Eric said tonelessly. "Now he owes me."

Auggie grabbed me by my arm. There was obviously some tension between the vampire and the Were. Andy silently watched the exchange of growls between the two supernatural men. "Izzy," he says with a worried look. I had been so caught up with the exchange that I forgot Eric still held my daughter. I didn't want her caught up between the two supernaturals in a fist fight. Auggie must've picked up on it. She let go of me and stood up between the two big men.

"Enough," she said in a penetrating voice. Strangely enough, Izzy never woke up. Eric and Alcide quit growling. "I don't want to hear these petty little squabbles. We are here to help out B and her happy little family. Mr. Herveaux, you need to get your father some help for his gambling problem before it gets out of control and Eric, stop being such a vampire. Alcide will pay you back, just stop rubbing it in his face . I swear, you two are worse than some of the children I have taken care of," Auggie said as she tapped her foot and rolled her eyes.

"I'll talk to Colonel Flood first thing tomorrow," Alcide grumbled.

"Good, call me here after you do that. I'll be here all day," Auggie said cheerfully. "Then I can plan my work schedule with Esmeralda. I'll let you know, Alcide. If I'm not here, call me at Karma's Backbone anytime. We're listed in the yellow pages," Auggie added.

"Pam and Clancy will keep watch tonight. Don't worry about Clancy, I'll take care of him," Eric said as he shifted his hold on Izzy. At least he remembered he still had a sleeping child in his arms.

"Good, I don't like how he's been eying my daughter," I finally said. It was nice to get a word in for once. For all I care, Eric could pull Clancy's fangs out with a rusty set of pliers.

"Since we now have something that resembles arrangements, I must be off," Auggie said. Instead of leaving out the front door like normal people, Auggie just disappeared in a swirl of her strange magic. Andy's jaw went slack at the sight.

"Mom, she just…," Andy couldn't get the words out.

"I know, sweetie," was all the response I could muster. Eric smiled.

"You have a lot learn, pup. There are many creatures that you aren't aware of yet," Eric said.

"Yeah, it's the pack's responsibility to teach you," Alcide interjected in a tone that implied _smackdown_, and headed for the door.

Andy helped me clean up the kitchen while Eric sat at the kitchen table cradling Izzy in his arms. He stroked her sandy hair that I was pretty sure would darken as she grew up. Harry had a dirty sort of brownish blond hair, the kind of color that couldn't decide which shade it wanted to be. It looked dark in a dim room but in sunlight the blond highlights showed making it appear much lighter. I suspect that Izzy's hair will be like that in a few more years.

I looked over at my son and saw a much younger version of Alcide. Andy is tall for his age with a slender build that I suspect will change as he grows up and becomes a man. Andy even had that same rumpled but clean look that his biological father had. His dark brown hair could never decide which way it wanted to go. Andy gave me his cock-eyed smile as he starts up the dishwasher.

"It'll be okay Mom. I won't let that jerk get us without a fight," Andy said. I put my arm around him and kissed his forehead. I'd grown quite used to the faint smell of dog that no amount of soap could remove. It was just Andy's scent. Andy gave me a hug and I returned it tenfold.

"I know," I whisper in his ear. "I just didn't expect you to grow up like this."

Eric hummed and sang something in an ancient tongue to my daughter. He mumbled a few Norse words and I made out the names Aude and Astrid. The pain of long forgotten memories filled his eyes as I heard him whisper in plain English, "Thank you little one. Thank you for reminding me of the person I once was. I forget."

I let Eric sit there quietly for a moment. I didn't want to break into his bittersweet memories as he held my daughter. It made me wonder how special people like Izzy were treated in the days of the Vikings. I was sure they existed but was there a name for the condition? Modern medicine has probably answered a lot questions for someone as old as Eric.

"It's time for bed," I said quietly to Andy and he nodded. I knew that Eric would pick up on it and so he gently stood up cradling my daughter. Izzy stirred a bit and settled back into Eric's chest.

"Papa, I miss you," she mumbled but the voice didn't sound completely like Izzy's, it was slightly accented like Eric's. Her eyes still drowsily closed, she hugged the vampire tightly. Eric kissed her forehead as a bloody tear worked its way down towards the corner of his mouth. I couldn't imagine _one_ day without my kids let alone a thousand years, that must still be hell on the Viking.

I silently handed Eric a tissue. He gave me a grateful nod. Izzy's psychic energy curled through the room. It was strange that my autistic daughter was something much more. Her powers seemed strongest while she was sleeping. It was as if the ghosts of the past came to her and used her small body as a sort of conduit, communicating with the living, or in Eric's case, the undead.

"She needs to stay away from witches. She is powerful and witches will only use her," Eric said as he held her close.

"Daddy Joe has told me the same thing, in a roundabout way," I simply said thinking back on my conversation with him about Izzy and her strange gift. I wished that my daughter couldn't do these strange things. The occasional vision didn't bother me much but dead people talking through her did.

Izzy woke up and smiled at Eric. It wasn't Astrid or any of the other dead people's smiles, it was all Izzy. She hugged Eric again. It's no secret that Izzy felt safe around the Viking. "Thank you for being my angel, Eric," Izzy says. Eric's warm smile got wider.

"You are my angel, my little Valkyrie," Eric said as he touched the tip of her nose.

"What's a Valkyrie?" Izzy asked the vampire.

"They are kind of like angels. They are Viking angels," Eric said and Izzy eyes widened in wonder.

"Are they from Viking heaven?" Izzy innocently asked and Eric let out a gentle laugh.

"You are smart little one, there is a Viking heaven and it is called Valhalla. It is in a place called Asgard where a powerful god named Odin lives," Eric said as he started undressing my daughter. I wasn't quite sure if her five year old mind was ready for Norse Mythology 101. He undressed her down to her Hello Kitty undershirt and panties. I obliged by handing Eric her nightgown; he slipped it on over her head as he told her legends of old. It's funny, I always thought Thor was a blond haired blue eyed hottie much like Eric; he wasn't, he was a red head like yours truly with red eyes. Guess I could learn something new every night hanging around an ancient vampire.

Eric laid Izzy gently down on her bed and pulled the covers over her. Izzy sat back up and gave Eric a hug and kissed his cheek. "I love you, Eric," Izzy said out of the blue. I thought the vampire was as stunned by her declaration as I was, although I had a strong feeling that it had been a long time since Eric had heard those words said that way. Of course he has probably heard them from the women that throw themselves at him, but not from a small child with genuine feeling. Eric was completely speechless.

"I love you too, my little Valkyrie," Eric managed to say in return. If he felt anything from Izzy's statement, he sure the hell didn't show it but I have a strong feeling he did, I know I would. Eric kissed her forehead and wished my daughter a good night.

Pam was sitting on my sofa when Eric and I left Izzy's bedroom. In front of her on the coffee table was a small silver handgun and what looked like silver bullets in a black suede case. What the devil would a vampire do with a handgun? The gun looked too small for Eric's big hands so I figured it must be Pam's.

"Maxwell Lee delivered this, as per your request, master," Pam said with a slight bow.

"Good," Eric said as he picked up the small revolver. I was right, too small for his big 'ole paws. He turned to look down at me with a blank expression. "How good are you with a handgun, Belinda?"

"I'd say I'm pretty decent. Daddy Joe and I used to go out to the shooting range before I started seeing Izzy's dad. It's been a while but I think I still have what it takes," I said, taking the Smith and Wesson .38 special from Eric's large grasp. I open the chamber to check that it is unloaded. It's been ages since I've held a handgun but I am still relaxed as I load the chamber with the silver bullets.

"I can't have you completely defenseless and I know you must leave the house to come to the bar. I want you to carry that gun with you at all times," Eric said. Pam handed me a discrete shoulder holster with a disgusted look on her face. Guess gun accessories didn't have the cachet of fashion accessories. Hate to burst Pam's bubble but it's kind of tough to make guns look fashionable.

"I sure will," I said as I made sure the safety was on and put it in the holster. Looks like I was going to have to invest in a gun cabinet. "That bastard T-Bone won't know what hit him if he tries anything."

"Good, I must be going now. I have business to attend to at the bar. Pam will stay and watch the house with Clancy," Eric said and Pam rolled her eyes at the mention of Clancy. Glad I'm not the only one who can't stand that asshole.

Pam glided back outside but Eric lingered at the door. He gave me a small smile and reached around my head to unfasten my barrette. My flaming hair tumbled down past my shoulders, Eric ran his fingers through it. "I have told you before, you look better with your hair down. I have yet to give you that bonus that you so richly deserve," Eric said in his richly masculine voice. He lifted my chin and brushed his lips against mine. Sweet Jesus! I began to experience what a thousand years of kissing feels like as he went in for the kill and gave me the best damn kiss ever.

Before I know it, Eric was off in a flash leaving me to feel needy in my girlie parts. Damn vampire!


	30. Chapter 30

**Can't believe I made it to chapter 30! I want to thank all my readers out there in internet land for giving me your love and support. I love writing this story as much as you all enjoy reading it. I want to thank treewitch703, my fabulous beta for helping to make this story so much more awesome! This chapter in particular because it was a challenge. Again Thank you!**

I went to bed that night feeling very uneasy. The image of T-Bone DeMarcus burning in my brain. He was still the same ugly bastard I couldn't forget. Tribal tattoos a la' Mike Tyson covering half his face and yellow crooked teeth that looked like they hadn't seen a toothbrush in a decade or two. Empty, cold, gray eyes and greasy brown hair were not improved by the long beard. The son of a bitch groomed it somewhat since he liked having braids bristling out of his chin for some stupid reason. Just a downright nasty bastard but despite his unsavory appearance, T-Bone seemed to be a master of camouflage. Hell if I know how he does it, but he does.

I didn't mind Pam being out there watching the house but I did mind Clancy. That piece of trash thinks that just because he has fangs he can get into my pants and have whatever he wants. I got news for him, not going to happen. I don't give a shit if he's stronger or faster than me, I'm not his type or should I say he's not mine. Stupid prick!

I put the gun and the holster in the top drawer of my nightstand, the closer the better. T-Bone is a slimy bastard who would probably try something despite the vampire guards. I even put on my sterling silver crucifix. Guess if I have to, I could just throw it in the bastard's face. I have no desire to become fuzzy once a month like my son.

Andy, I thought to myself, not only my son but my rock and the only true friend I have ever known. He's clever, funny and so much more than I ever expected. The girls in his class swoon over him despite his single mom and the fact that he has a disabled sister. Andy didn't care what the other kids his age thought of him. He was never embarrassed when Izzy would run to him after school and give him a hug. I'm pretty sure the other kids were aware of Izzy's condition because I swear I saw a few of them make fun of her but Andy ignored them and that was always the cue for Izzy to do the same. Andy was also my savior in so many ways, more than he will ever know.

I had a hard time letting go enough to sleep, with the millions of thoughts zipping through my head. Finally, my brain quieted enough for me to drift off . Luckily I didn't get caught in a nightmare but I did wake up to a body next to mine, waaaay too big to be one of my kids. I was ready to grab for my glasses and the gun when I recognized the blurred reachl of the body and the length of the pale hair of a certain Viking. He let out that low masculine laugh and kissed my forehead.

"What are you doing here?" I whispered to the indistinct blond mass before me.

"Making sure my investment is safe," Eric whispered back and kissed my cheek.

"I thought you had some business to attend to," I whispered back as Eric lipped my pale neck with kisses deftly avoiding the crucifix. I reached up and unfastened the chain and put it on my nightstand.

"I finished early. Is that a crime?" He said and kept himself busy with his hands. "Besides I still have a bonus to hand out to my most excellent employee," he added wagging his eyebrows like some big cartoon character.

Fangs brushed my skin and I knew right then and there that I was sharing my bed with a horny vampire. That feeling returned to my girlie parts from earlier when Eric kissed me. I just hoped to hell he wasn't paying much attention to the ginger bed head next to him.

"How quiet can you be about this… bonus?" I asked a little tartly as I tried to move slightly away from his mouth. "You know there is a werewolf pup asleep across the hall."

"As quiet as a mouse," Eric said with a slight laugh as I felt those fangs trace the vein running beneath my freckled skin.

"I have house rules you know," I managed mutter on an exhale. Whatever the hell he was doing, it sure felt good.

"What are they?" he said as he suddenly stopped. He reached across me to the nightstand and grabbed my glasses being careful to avoid the coil of silver. Whatever I was about to tell him, he wanted me to see his face. He gently arranged my hair behind my shoulders and placed my glasses onto my nose. Eric gave me that famous smirk of his. He had no intentions of glamouring me; he just wanted me to get the full view of his nearly naked glory. "I'm ready for these house rules, Ms. Poppy Cherry," Eric then said playfully, calling me by my old stripper name.

"Well for one thing, Miss Poppy Cherry died the night you hired me to work for you," I said, still grateful for the vampire in my bed for stealing me away from that horrid job. I hated being Miss Poppy Cherry the naughty teacher. Only lowlifes liked her.

"Fair enough," Eric said and started in with the butterfly kisses along my neck.

"We have to be quiet about this. I don't want the kids walking in on us," I said and Eric stopped long enough to smile.

"Understandable, but can you keep quiet?" Eric asked playfully.

"Harry and I managed it all the time. How do you think I ended up with Izzy?" I said and Eric quietly laughed.

"I have been told by other humans that I am hung like a horse, whatever that means? I assume, from what I remember about horses, it's because I'm large. Are you sure you can keep quiet?" he asked me again with that smirk.

"You can't be much bigger than Alcide," I said tartly and Eric let out a low animalistic growl. "Hey, I'm just kidding buddy," I then said to mend the broken fence.

"Kidding? Buddy?" Eric gave me an inquisitive look.

"Wow, you really do need those Humanity 101 lessons," I said with a nervous laugh.

"Later, I want to give you that bonus that you so richly deserve," Eric said, flashing his fangs which reminded me.

"I don't mind being a blood donor but you need to leave your mark where it can't be seen. I don't like it when even a human partner feels they have to stamp their territory ," I said and Eric gave me that questioning look. "A hickey? A love bite? Don't you remember those?"

"I have a lot to learn before opening this bar. You humans and your funny expressions," Eric playfully said as he took my hand and started kissing away again. "I would have understood love bite," Eric then said with a smile and kissed my hand again. It wasn't until he got to the needle tracks on my arm that he stopped with a frown.

"I have a rule of my own, Belinda. It is a very important rule for a human such as yourself," he said in a serious tone.

"What is it?" I asked as he had my full attention.

"I don't always tell humans this but I feel you should know. No love bites on me at all. My blood, even in small amounts is like a drug to a human. I don't wish to ever glamour you but if you take my blood, I will. Some humans get highly addicted to our blood and I know passion can get out of control. Hell, I'm planning on it but you need to control yourself, Belinda. This is one drug I don't want you to ever get hooked on," Eric explained with an uncharacteristic solemnity.

"I won't. I'm not usually a biter anyway," I said with a small smile and Eric echoed it. "Oh yeah, one more rule. It's also got to do with your human lessons. No more kisses on the lips. You can make a girl fall in love with you if you keep doing that. Anywhere other than the lips is fine," I said and Eric gave me that inquisitive look again.

"Why not? What makes the lips so special?" Eric asked. He had been dead for far too long.

"Love and trouble always seems to come from kisses on the lips. I can't quite explain it," I said sounding a little frustrated. Sometimes my patience wears thin when I'm asked questions I can't quite answer.

"I will honor your request if you honor mine," Eric then said as he kissed my hand.

"Not a problem," I said as I gave myself over to Eric's kisses.

He skillfully pulled my nightgown off without ripping it and started kneading my breasts with his big hands while I explored his cool hard body. My back arched when I felt his cold fingers explore my folds. I did my best to stifle my moan as I felt his wonderfully skillful fingers weave their magic.

"Look at me," he whispered, giving me the most seductive bedroom eyes I have ever seen. I ran my hands through his thick blond hair, tugging on it when I felt an orgasm come on. If his fingers could make me do that, I wondered what his cock was like.

He slid his body up a little higher against mine. I felt disappointed when he removed his fingers but nothing prepared me for his marvelous dick. He was careful as I panted and sweated. I dug my red painted fingernails into his back as he gently eased himself inside me. I wanted to scream but I bit my lip instead. The salty taste of my own blood flooded my mouth. I looked at Eric who smelled the blood in the heat of passion, a hunger filled his eyes.

"Not the lips," I managed to whisper. Eric then leaned down and bit the breast that he had been kneading earlier. I tried to swallow my scream. This is tougher than I thought. Eric was no Harry that was for sure. Don't get me wrong, I loved Izzy's dad and all but he wasn't a very passionate man. Harry actually didn't like being touched much. Of course we had sex and did those things that couples do but it was always quick and never really all that passionate. Sometimes it seemed more like a chore to Harry. Maybe Harry was that way for a reason ? Right now I didn't have time to reflect on my life with Harry. Right now I was getting the best sex I've had in, say, ten years. Yeah, Eric is an animal between the sheets much like a certain werewolf I know.

Eric sucked and licked the wound above my left breast. His fangs re-entered my flesh where he had penetrated before which was smart of him. I'd only have the one set of fang marks. Blood dribbled down my chin from where I had bitten my lip. This caught Eric's eyes and so I allowed him to lick the blood away as he pushed and I silently moaned. Eric was careful not to touch my lips as he lapped up the blood.

"You taste divine," he whispered. Quiet sex with Eric was sure a challenge.

"You're not so bad yourself," I drawled out as he gently pulled away and we both collapsed onto the bed testing the springs. I was gasping, trying to catch my breath while Eric traced the contours of my body with his fingers. He grabbed my hand to find blood under my fingernails from where I scratched his back. Eric gently took each finger into his mouth, careful of his fangs and sucked the blood clean off.

"Did I hurt you?" I asked and Eric laughed.

"Only minor discomfort but it felt so good," he purred and kissed my breast. "Beside it has healed already." I ran my hand along his back where I had scratched him and felt nothing. It was as if I never touched him. He smiled up at me when he caught the wonder in my eyes through my foggy glasses. "Vampires heal fast," he added as he proceeded to shower me with more kisses.

A knock came from my bedroom door. "Oh shit," I mumbled and Eric just smiled. He moved like a blur through the bedroom. Popping my nightgown back on and picking up his clothes before shutting the bathroom door.

"Mom, you okay?" I heard the voice of my son say. "Can I come in?"

I looked around the room to see no evidence of Eric or our sexcapades so I just calmly say, "Sure, come on in baby." I know that Eric is in my bathroom but I hope to hell Andy doesn't smell him in here.

Andy opens the door rubbing his eyes and his hair a tousled mess. He sniffed the air as was his habit. One of these days I'm going to have to sit down and explain the birds and the bees to him but I have a feeling I'm a little late for that talk.

"I heard noises coming from you room. I was worried," Andy yawned out.

"I'm okay baby. I might have had the T.V. on a little too loud. I'm sorry," I tell my beautiful boy.

"Okay, well 'night," Andy said and shut my door. I let out a sigh of relief as Eric comes out of the bathroom, fully dressed except for his shoes. He crawls back up onto the bed next to me, laying on top of the blankets.

"You were marvelous," he said and kissed my forehead. "Do you want a turn?"

"Maybe some other night? I'm tired and that was a little too close for my comfort. That boy's hearing is getting way too sharp," I said and Eric laughed.


	31. Chapter 31

**I want to thank all my wonderful readers and my fabulous beta, treewitch703!**

I woke up with a pleasant soreness between my legs and an elf/fairy hybrid sitting Indian style at the foot of my bed, actually on top of my feet if you want to get all technical. I didn't feel her weight and I wondered how the hell she did that? Just like a big 'ole Viking vampire could've crawled out of my bed without my knowing, I guess? I scrambled for my glasses to see Auggie in all her crazed fashion glory. Today she wore a buffalo checked red flannel shirt, skinny jeans, a red shirt underneath the flannel with a little black cat on the front, red streaks in her white hair and a black headband showing off her pointed ears. I've noticed that Auggie seems comfortable showing her true nature in front of me these days. She was also considerate, like a certain Viking, and kept her shoes off the bed.

"Somebody got her vampire virgin cherry popped ," Auggie said in a sing-song sort of voice. She looked at me with innocent blue eyes and a playful smile. I just threw a pillow at her and she gracefully jumped out of the way, laughing.

"How do you know?" I said as I stretched to greet the morning sun pouring in through my windows.

"I smell sex and vampire all over your bed," Auggie said with a playful wink and a giggle. Guess I'll have to put some air freshener on my nightstand? "Won't work, those chemicals can't hide that wonderful heady scent of two bodies coming together."

"Ooo-Kay," I simply say in return. I popped out of bed to start another day at Belinda's Supe Central. I guess I've grown quite used to seeing and hearing the unusual.

"Got a big day planned for us, B. Alcide said he would come over and watch the kids. You and I are going on a little road trip to recruit us some more help," Auggie said as she sat in the small chair by the vanity and worked her feet back into her Doc Marten's. I paused while pulling a long sleeved shirt from the drawer to go with my green flannel.

"Alcide is going to watch the kids? Why? Izzy can't stand being in the same room with him."

"She promised she would be good when I told her what we were going to do."

"You told Izzy?"

"Yeah, I sort of had to. She was cool with it when I told her that I was doing it to help out Eric," Auggie said with a sort of faux innocence.

"Where are we going, how should I dress?"

"Karma's Backbone, don't worry about the Black Friday shoppers, they're usually out of there by noon," Auggie said when I looked at the clock and noticed it was eleven thirty. "First, I want to swing by Daddy Joe's to see if he's doing alright. I called him last night after I left and he seemed pretty shook up about the whole T-Bone thing."

"Poor Daddy Joe, he doesn't need this shit," I said and Auggie nodded. "So what's at Karma's Backbone?" I then said changing the subject.

"Well, I'll be straight with you. Esmeralda is not just my boss, she's my older half-sister. We share the same mother but Essie's dad was a fling Mom had before she met my Pops. My Mom was a pretty wild-child fairy in her day. Who'd guessed an elf would be the one to tame her? She'd had many partners before she met my Pops and one of them was Essie's dad. She's lucky she didn't get expelled from Faery for hooking up with someone from Jotenheimr, let alone carry a child like that. Anyway, Essie and I are business partners. She mostly stays behind the scenes, since Essie takes after her pops more than our Mom.

She and I have one thing in common; fairy half breeds don't belong in Faery. Especially half breeds that take after the non-fairy half. We both stayed in this world since neither of our Mom's nor our Pops' worlds would have us. Essie has had a harder time fitting in than I do so she just became sort of a recluse. She watches over Karma's Backbone from the safety of her office. Only the workers and I ever get to see her.

Anyway, to make a long story short, I called Essie last night and she agreed to help on one condition. That she meet you face to face. Essie is a fierce warrior and she wants to meet whomever she protects. What I need you to do is treat Essie like you would anybody else," Auggie explained while I wondered what was up with Auggie's sister. She must be deformed or something for Auggie to be telling me this. "I'll go wait with the kids while you get ready. Wear what you usually do. We get all kinds coming into the store," Auggie then said as she made her way out of my room so I can tend to my personal needs.

Alcide was sitting on the couch next to Andy watching television while Izzy quietly played with her dolls giving Alcide the occasional look. I don't know why my little bumpkin can't stand the werewolf, but she can't. I smiled when I saw the werewolves were watching a documentary about wolves in the wild. Guess werewolves have a sense of humor after all.

"The kids will be alright. I got Andy to help me," Alcide said with that lovely smile of his. I'm going have to come up with house rules for him too if he keeps making me feel this way. Just the sound of his voice brings back memories that my girlie parts would love to revisit.

"I know," I simply answered as I check the shoulder holster under my flannel shirt.

"Oh hell, Northman's got you carrying a gun now," Alcide growled.

"Yeah, got a problem with that? Don't think a chick can shoot?" I said in a snarky tone and gave Alcide a look seasoned with a little attitude.

"Auggie is going to be with you. Why do you need that thing anyway?" Alcide said and I frowned at him.

"It's my extra backup just in case Auggie happens to not be there when he shows up. Besides, I promised Eric I would carry it with me every time I leave the house," I said, dishing it right back at him and Alcide just growled.

"Fine," he finally barked out. I just gave him the stink eye. Pushy werewolf!

"Mom will be right back," I said to Izzy and kissed her forehead. "You be good for Mr. Growly Pants over there," I then said and I swore that for a split second I caught a genuine smile play on my daughter's lips.

"Andy, you take care. Help Alcide out," I said and then looked to the older Were who was doing his best to cool his jets. "If you have any problems Andy knows my cell. Izzy seems to be having a good day but she can always turn on a dime. Let Andy take care of it if she does. There's leftover turkey in the fridge, just help yourself if I happen to be running late or if you're just hungry," I then said.

"I'll walk you out," Alcide tells me and Auggie. He looked like he was ready to say something but he didn't want to do it in front of the kids so I just let him follow me and Auggie out to the carport.

Alcide waited until the door was shut so that the kids wouldn't hear. He looked down at me with those intense eyes. "I don't like that you and Andy have guns. I'm sorry for the outburst," Alcide apologized.

"I don't like the idea of having to carry a gun around either. Trust me when I say this, Andy and I were trained by the best. Daddy Joe was a master marksman in his day. I don't plan on using it unless it's my last resort. I mean it. Go back on inside, I don't like my kids being left alone too long," I said and Alcide gave me that butter melting smile of his. He leaned down like he was ready to plant one on me but I stopped him cold with my hand. "Not now," was all I could say before hopping into the passenger side of the Beetle. I guess Auggie wanted to be the wheel man, I didn't know she could drive, but oh well.

Auggie turned out to be a very good driver. She followed all the rules to a T. She giggled when she noticed I was observing her driving.

"I kind of have to know about all this fancy human stuff if I expect to get any kind of work as an au pair," Auggie said as she turned down the back road to Daddy Joe's.

"I guess you would," I responded.

Auggie had the radio on listening to some oldies. Elvis crooned through the speakers singing Suspicious Minds while Auggie hummed away. Knowing Auggie, she probably knew the king personally. I just smiled at her. Auggie had a way of lightening my mood.

"Yeah I know him," Auggie said in present tense, made me wonder if the king really was alive. "Great guy, too bad his turning didn't go right. Drugs have a way of screwing people up," Auggie than said. She pulled over and took my hand. She gave me a sad but sweet smile. "I'm glad you didn't let them screw you up, B. I've known a lot of great people that let that demon chew them up and spit them right back out in pieces. You're smarter than what you give yourself credit for. Don't ever go back to your old ways," she said and gave her attention back to the road.

Daddy Joe sat on his front porch with a rifle on his lap. If I knew the old man, which I do, that rifle is full of silver shot. His Wright Line Catahoula hunting dog laid next to his rocking chair fast asleep. Daddy Joe didn't have a fancy house by any means. The paint was peeling; the doors and windows were all old and original to the two story farmhouse. Closed for Black Friday, the Craw-Daddy Shack, stood next door. Daddy Joe didn't see the point of having the place open after a holiday of stuffing faces, that, and none of his waitresses would work on the busiest shopping day of the year.

Daddy Joe slowly stood up when I got out of the car, using his twisty old cane to support himself. He set his rifle down on the rocking chair as I ran up the porch steps and hugged the old coot for all I was worth.

"You alright, Daddy Joe?" I ask and he gave me that cock-eyed smile of his.

"No furry bastard goin' get the best of me, girlie," he said in his usual style. Daddy Joe may be older than the hills, probably because Daddy Joe is the smartest individual I know, plain and simple.

"No, he's not," I responded.

"That furry bastard ain't goin' lay one nasty paw on you or the kids as long as I'm still kickin'. He tries anything to get the pup, I'm goin' pop him right in the ass," Daddy Joe said with his usual sincerity.

I heard the wooden screen door shut and out comes Daryl with a man I've never seen before. Daryl had a high powered rifle while the other man was a walking arsenal. Daryl stood about six feet and some change so I guessed this fellow to be about six feet even. He was Caucasian with shaggy dirty blond hair and dark blue eyes. He kind of reminded me of Daddy Joe in the old picture. He had a scruffy strong chin and a scar below his right eye.

"I've called for backup of my own, honey chile," Daddy Joe said with a grin.

"Daryl, I didn't know," I said to the large black man. He gave me his gleaming white smile.

"There's a lot you didn't know about me, Belinda", said the Craw-Daddy cook. "I just kinda keep the whole hunting thing to myself. Wanda would kill me if she knew,"

"This is Remy, cher'," Daddy Joe said as the strange gentleman took my hand and kissed it.

"Pleasure," Remy drawled out in a slight Cajun accent.

"Remy is a seasoned werewolf hunter. He's been training our young 'un here," Daddy Joe said as he motioned to Daryl.

"Heard you had a slight werewolf problem," Remy said with a lady killer smile. "I've been fighting wolves for about twenty years," he added. Remy looked to be in his late twenties early thirties but I suspected he was much older. "The old man here is safe with me and Daryl's keeping watch, little red," he said with a smile that could charm the panties off an inexperienced woman, but I was far from inexperienced.

"The name is Belinda," I said tartly. Remy laughed.

"Belinda Jean Harrison, Daddy Joe already told me," Remy said.

"Good, I'd prefer you call me by my given name. I'm not big into pet names," I said and Remy just smirked.

"You girls better be on your way," Daddy Joe said and turned to Remy. "You keep your hands to yourself, Remy. Belinda's not that kind of girl," Daddy Joe said to the other hunter. Maybe once upon a time I was that kind of girl but no more. Auggie and I said our good- byes, slid back into the VW, and went on our way.

Auggie parked in front of a huge old brick building that looked like it'd housed a factory or warehouse at one time, which had morphed into some sort of hipster shop. Above the wood and glass doors hung a sign that said Karma's Backbone painted in some sort of Indian-ish script. A bluebird, a moon with some stars, a sun with a face and a lotus blossom bordered the sign. The customers seemed to be a mixed bag. Young hipsters, old ladies, soccer mom types, you name it they were walking in and out of Karma's Backbone.

"Come on, Essie is waiting," Auggie said as she held open my door. She must've slipped on that knit hat shaped like a black cat before leaving the car.

Walking into Karma's Backbone was an experience; it reminded me of a Supernatural Sam's Club. The front of the large space stood racks of C.D.s and standing near those racks stood an average sized slender man with bleached blond hair in a sort of geometric cut. He was dressed in a jacket, boots, and leather pants with a belt hanging loosely on his slender hips. His features were sharp, further enlivened with one brown and one blue eye. He also wore one of those laminated name tags to let you know that he was an employee.

"Jareth please report to the manager's office," said a woman's raspy voice coming from the overhead speakers. She sort of sounded like one of those sex phone operators.

"Oh bloody hell! What did I do now?" said bleached blond in an English accent. "She can bloody wait."

"Jareth, she's going to put you on ice again if you don't go," said a leggy blond decked out in a leather mini and hooker boots. Unlike Jareth, she had long naturally blond hair that fell halfway down her back. She too wore a laminated name tag.

"I can't help it if I was a little rough on that punk shoplifter this morning. Idrina is lucky as hell being a vampire. She doesn't have to deal with those vultures," the one named Jareth said as he fixed a black Christmas tree with skulls hanging from it.

"She's going to be working in that new bar her sheriff is opening up after the big r-e-v-e-l-a-t-i-o-n," said blond 'n' leggy like she was trying to win a spelling bee or something.

Auggie cleared her throat as she approached the one called Jareth. He turned around and his eyes widened showcasing his oddly colored irises. He wasn't handsome but he wasn't ugly either, just plain, despite his other worldliness.

"Augustine, I didn't see you come in," Jareth said with a smile that looked similar to Auggie's toothy grin. "Is this the human Esmeralda was telling us about?"

"Yes it is. Jareth, you need to say person. There are too many of them around to be talking normally," Auggie said and then she looked up at blond n' leggy, "Tabitha, you need to get back to your area."

"But I'm on my break," the leggy blond pouted. Auggie shot some subtle sparks in Tabitha's direction. "Fine," Tabitha said and stormed off.

"Witches and goblins," I heard a voice from behind me say. I turned around to see a small coffee kiosk and a small dark haired woman manning the station. She looked bored and about the only normal looking employee in the whole place. She sort of reminded me of Snow White if Snow White went out clubbing. She wore a red bow in her dark bob with a red sweater and skinny jeans.

"What do you mean?" I said as I approached the kiosk and picked up on that aroma that is so familiar to me. The same kind of odor Andy has but slightly different, not quite werewolf.

"Jareth is a goblin," she said and rolled her eyes. "Well three-quarters goblin. A fourth of him is elf but the dumbass still likes to fashion himself after David Bowie in that Labyrinth movie. Jareth isn't even his real name. He sort of fancies himself as being the goblin king, pathetic if you really think about it," said the girl with a clipped Yankee accent. I glanced at the laminated name tag hanging from her neck to discover her name was Carrie. She rolled her eyes when she saw me looking and said, "Don't ask. That's my real name. I'm one of the few to use my given name around here. My mom had a thing for Stephen King, go figure. I'm not telekinetic if you need to know, I'm just a run of the mill shape shifter."

"Shape shifter?"

"Yeah if you can tell, no one working here isn't exactly what you would call 'average', Carrie said, making quotation marks in the air. "Besides, I hear you have a puppy of your own. Auggie seems to like you enough to bring you in here to meet Esmeralda. Not many 'civilians ' are allowed to the back of the store, just witches and what not. In fact I don't think I've ever seen a normal person go into Esmeralda's office. I've been told no civilians have laid eyes on her since her days with the traveling circus," Carrie said, sparking my curiosity even more.

"Jareth! Get your scrawny ass in my office at once," the raspy voice yelled from the overhead speakers. Amusement crossed Carrie's face. The patrons didn't even flinch hearing the voice roar over the speaker; it was like they were all in their own little worlds.

"Uh-oh, he's done pissed off the boss lady. It's a record; usually we hear that page around say… nine o'clock. Want a Mocha Latte while you wait? It's Auggie's fave," Carrie said with a wink.

"Make it two and put it on my tab," Auggie says as she watched Jareth walk towards the back of the building. He passed a tall woman with black hair cut in a Bettie Page style with tattoos covering her right arm. She was tightly wrapped in a navy pencil skirted dress with a sweetheart neckline. Her theme for the day seemed to be cherries; earrings and a necklace of shiny plastic cherries, a shiny cherry red belt and cherry platform shoes that made her seem to be about six feet tall. She had on one of those plastic name tags and her cherry red lips smirked at us,

"I thought I would have to be here sooner," rockabilly girl said to the goblin king. "Good thing I wasn't mixing up potions."

"Shut the bloody hell up, Ruby," Jareth said as he gave her a cross look. Cherry Lady who was apparently Ruby, just smiled as she took her post near the C.D.'s. Ruby then went to the sound system and Auggie rolled her eyes.

"What's wrong?" I ask Auggie.

"Ruby is going to put on that Neil Diamond C.D. again. I just know it. I thought Jareth hid that thing?" Auggie said, looking at Carrie.

"Fucking witches," Carrie mumbled. "Seriously Auggie, we're talking about the goblin king wannabe."

Neil Diamond's Cherry, Cherry flowed through the sound system. Auggie and Carrie both groaned in unison, this must be a daily happening at Karma's Backbone. Ruby started stepping and rocking, shaking her hips in that tight navy dress.

"Essie would have gotten rid of Ruby a long time ago except she's one of the few witches working here with a brain cell and she does good ink. We've been talking about adding a tattoo parlor to the place," Auggie added as she sipped her latte.

"Did you hear the latest?" Carrie then said, putting on her gossip hat.

"What?" Auggie said as we watched the show Ruby was putting on with her hips.

"Idrina told me that Bubba is back in town. Seems the sheriff is in charge of him this time," Carrie said.

"Oh good, I still owe him that Persian blood for that wild party where he sang," Auggie said. I wondered just who the hell was Bubba? I wondered no longer when Jareth came back to his post. His leather jacket all zipped up and shivering all over. I thought I spied an icicle or two hanging from his spikey hair. Ruby laughed and Jareth went to the sound system, pulled out good 'ole Neil and threw it at her.

"Go back to your bloody parlor, Ruby," Jareth yelled at a frowning Ruby. The customers still didn't flinch.

"Regulars," Carrie said as she rolled her eyes, talking about the customers.

Auggie led the way to the back of the store past a glass case of hookahs and beyond the racks of tie dyed garments to an area that came straight out of a Harry Potter book. I saw Ruby and Tabitha mixing some kind of strange smelling brew. A woman that looked exactly like Tabitha with black hair was helping an elderly customer at the cash register. She waved at Auggie.

"That's Tabitha's sister, Samantha. She's the one with the brains," Auggie tells me.

"Their mom and dad must've watched a lot of Bewitched," I responded and Auggie giggled and kept on walking.

The closer we got to the back of the store, the colder it was. No wonder Jareth'd zipped up his jacket. It felt like Antarctica back here.

"Jareth must've really pissed her off this time," Auggie said as she pulled up her collar. We were standing in front of a tall door. Funny, all the doors in this place seemed a little on the tall side. This door was of a dark wood elaborately carved with Vikings and snow.

"Promise you won't stare, and please talk to her like you would anybody else," Auggie said with a serious look on her face.

"I promise," I said through chattering teeth. Damn it was freezing back here.

Auggie had to reach up to grab the door handle to open the door; I preceded her into icy room. Ahead of me was an elaborately carved tall desk, taller than an average piece of furniture. Behind the desk was a framed piece of printed tarp, the kind you would see in an old movie about circuses and freak shows. This one said something about the world's tallest gypsy and it had a painting of a mysterious dark haired woman standing near a midget in a suit. Sitting under that painting was said woman giving me a friendly smile; oddly she radiated friendliness and frost at the same time.

The only thing that Auggie and her half-sister had in common were that they both had the same blue eyes and pointed ears, that was where the similarities ended. Auggie had an almost childlike appearance whereas Esmeralda was all woman. Esmeralda had black wavy hair and runway model high cheekbones, but the blue spaghetti strap tank top Esmeralda wore displayed muscular arms peppered with snowflake tattoos. The office was freezing and I was shivering.

"I'm sorry for the frost. It's just that Jareth is really riding my nerves," Esmeralda said in the feminine yet raspy voice I remembered from the intercom. She stood up and then I understood why the doors in the place were so tall. In fact I had never seen someone as tall as Esmeralda before in my life. She didn't appear to suffer from those growth disorders I'd heard of. Her body was very proportional to her frame. In fact, she looked very healthy despite her extremely pale skin. She wasn't a willowy sort of tall but more Amazonian muscular tall. My guess put her at somewhere around eight to nine feet tall. Auggie hit my side when she caught me gawking.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you my sister is half frost giant," Auggie whispered in my ear. She's right; I wouldn't have, not in a million years.


	32. Chapter 32

**Special thanks to the treewitch. Love ya!**

Esmeralda walked around her elaborately carved desk where I could see her in all her Amazonian glory. She could probably use the top of my head as an armrest even though she was barefoot. She hunched forward a bit as she leaned on her desk, failing miserably to make herself smaller. Her khaki cargo shorts made me feel even colder and her ankle sported a tattoo of a strange group of short straight lines.

Esmeralda looked down towards me making me feel like a child. Indigo rings glowed around her irises and her exhaled breath floated out in an icy plume . There was something more conveyed by her supernatural gaze. Great age showed in those icy blue eyes despite the fact that she looked like she was only in her mid-thirties. She smiled down at me with an increasing acceptance as the glow in her eyes slowly diminished. The room seemed to warm up a bit and the glass of ice on her desk began to sweat.

"You are Belinda Jean Harrison, I am Esmeralda Frost," she said briskly, as she bent down to offer me her hand. I held out my own and waited for her to take it because I wasn't quite sure how I was going to wrap mine around hers. Her touch was as cold as her appearance as she gently shook my hand. "I have adopted human customs over the years," she said proudly. Her eyes held me. I see more than just an ancient mind behind that blue gaze… there was loneliness to her.

"P-P-Pleased to meet you, Ms. Frost," I managed to say to the giantess and Esmeralda smiled, showing me her teeth this time. I thanked my lucky stars her smile was nothing like her little sister's which would've been downright menacing.

"Please have a seat," Esmeralda said as she motioned to the average sized couch in front of her desk. She then motioned to a tall shaggy haired man who moved forward diffidently. He'd brought along the laptop he had and scooted a chair closer to the desk to settle his lanky figure into it. "Harvey here is my right hand man," Esmeralda said like a proud mother.

Harvey had a way about him. He smelled faintly like my Andy only not as strong. Harvey didn't feel the cold the way I did. I was bundled up in my winter coat whereas Harvey just wore a simple argyle sweater with matching socks and loafers. Harvey had a strange sort of geek chic about him. Harvey gave me a small shy smile that crinkled his green eyes.

"Esmeralda and I rescued Harvey after he had been attacked by a rogue werewolf; unfortunately we didn't get to him in time. We decided to take him in. We didn't count on him being a master computer hacker," Auggie whispered as we took a seat on the red couch. I began to realize that I was on Esmeralda Frost's and Augustine Spark's island of misfit supes.

"You used to work at a werewolf bar in Monroe. Howl's Full Moon where you were raped, beaten and polluted yourself with those strange chemicals called drugs. I always thought the Vikings were the most fucked up humans I have ever dealt with. Humans never seem to change," Esmeralda said, shaking her head and paced around in front of her desk. "But you have. You learned from your mistakes and struggle daily to stay clean. I respect that. Auggie told me about your little werewolf problem." The word little had a whole new meaning coming from Esmeralda's ruby lips.

Despite her size, Esmeralda moved gracefully as she went back to leaning against her desk. She was waiting for a response. Auggie nudged my side to let me know I should say something. "I-I-I do, did Auggie tell you this?" I said and Esmeralda gave me another warm smile. The kind of smile you would give a kid. I guess in a way I was a kid to someone like Esmeralda.

"On the one hand it's cute that you are afraid of me but but on the other, I don't like it when people are afraid of me. Something about judging a book by its cover or whatever human nonsense you people like to quote. Speaking of Vikings and their fucked up ways, you've been around that Northman clown recently?"

Apple must not fall far from the tree or whatever human nonsense I'm thinking of at the moment. Jeez, Esmeralda and Auggie may not share looks but they sure share some traits. I don't know how she would know; I showered off the smell of Viking and sex earlier. This got my goat and I didn't care if Esmeralda was twice my height and then some, I was going to tell her what I would tell anybody else. "None of your business," I drawled out and the giantess gave me that smile again, you know the proud mother sort of smile.

"I just knew that I would like you. I haven't been able to say that about a human in ages," Esmeralda said as she looked at the freak show poster. "Even I had to make a living somehow. The freak show was good to me. I could hide myself better back then. I wore a lot of long gypsy dresses; it was easier to conceal what I really was. I told the owner of the circus that I wore special shoes to make me look taller. A lot of the freak show giants did that back then. You know, the taller the giant, the bigger the draw would be. The circus owner never knew he had an actual giant working for him. I'd even observe other big humans so I could walk and speak like them. It was hard for me to pretend I was crippled by my size but I made a lot of good friends. We freaks would stick together no matter what.

When the circus disbanded, I lost touch with my friends. Years later I heard quite a few of them moved to Florida. I couldn't look them up by then. My appearance hadn't changed at all. Auggie came back into my life shortly afterwards. I was living in a cave out in no man's land. That's what my people have always done. We never associated with humans much. The Viking era was really the last and only time; it was a time when gods and myths were born. My people are a greedy sort and wanted the world for their own then. I sided with the Vikings because I didn't believe in what the Jötunn were doing. World domination is not my thing, if you get my drift," Esmeralda said and paused with a sigh as she turned her gaze back to me.

The overheard speaker began to play David Bowie's Major Tom and Esmeralda let out a low growl, no doubt directed towards the goblin king. "I don't need this right now," I heard the giantess mutter. That seemed like some sort of code for something.

Auggie stood up and looked way up to meet her big sister's gaze. "I'll take care of it. He must've had another fight with his wife," Auggie said as she headed for the tall door.

"Not in the mood for his booty call right now. Make sure he knows this," Esmeralda tells Auggie and Auggie just nods before heading out the door leaving me with a woman who could easily pick me up and slam me down along with whatever that Harvey guy is. "Men," Esmeralda said as she rolled her eyes. "Save their hide once and fight alongside them and they seem to think you have to be at their beck and call. Hate to tell him this, but I'm through playing with someone else's sloppy seconds."

OO-Kay, this wasn't about Jareth. She must've meant someone else. Jareth kind of struck me as the type that liked playing with his own team, if you know what I mean. Besides, Esmeralda would easily break him in half. She strikes me as the type that would appreciate a big man, preferably in the ten foot range.

"That dickhead won't even let me see my son. He doesn't know that Mag sneaks away for his own visits. What an ass," Esmeralda spat out with hurt filling her eyes. I felt bad for her all the sudden. I couldn't imagine Alcide taking Andy away from me and not allowing me to see him. An arctic blast filled the room again as I shivered. Even Harvey curled into himself to stay warm. Then I saw a snowflake fall from Esmeralda's blue eyes. I began to wonder what kind of a creep this mystery man was.

"Esmeralda," Harvey quietly said as he stood up from his chair. Harvey stood in front of her. He was one of those over six foot guys but Esmeralda made even him look child sized. She easily had about three feet on him. Harvey was a man of few to no words. He put his arms around her slender waist and hugged her. "I'm sorry he hurts you. You know we all still love you. We are all the family you need," he said as he looked up. Esmeralda petted the much shorter man like a dog but Harvey didn't seem to mind; she managed a small sad smile. She looked at Harvey the way I look at Andy and Izzy, the type of loving look that only a good mother can give. I realized right then and there that Karma's Backbone was more than just a place of business ran by supes; it was a family with Esmeralda Frost at the heart of it.

A few more snowflakes escaped her closed eyes while Harvey did his best to soothe her. I guess even giants can be fragile. Esmeralda appeared large and in charge at first glance but I guess even the most immortal of us can make mistakes. "He's a bastard anyway," Esmeralda quietly says as she looks down at Harvey. "I don't need him."

"Let's take care of the matter at hand. We got a werewolf that needs to die," Harvey deadpanned as he took the giantess's hand. "If I could go out there right now and kick his ass, I would and so would the others. At least you know Mag will be visiting soon."

"Oh yes, the portal is open right now. He can't stop my dear boy from seeing his mother," Esmeralda said with hopeful eyes. I felt like I just walked into some crazy family drama and that I probably shouldn't be seeing this, but oh well, I guess we all have our own family issues.

Esmeralda straightened herself up. She did her best to be more business like despite the soap opera going on in her store. She looked down at me with a sweet smile. Then, as she noticed I was straining my neck to look up into her eyes, Esmeralda began moving herself down to floor in an Indian style fashion. Even with her sitting down, I still had to look up a bit. She took my hand and I felt her cold fingers once again. "You are here to discuss your werewolf problem, not as an audience for my issues. You seem like a good woman, Ms. Harrison. I wouldn't have let Auggie bring you here if I didn't think so. Speaking as one mother to another, I promise I will not let that asshole touch your son. You have my protection as well. I vowed a long time ago that I wouldn't take up my sword in combat again but if it comes down to it, I will. I cannot bear seeing a son torn from his mother. My lover did the same to me many millennia ago but my boy still comes back to see me. He risks punishment to do so but I am grateful he has never forgotten me," Esmeralda said as the room seemed to warm up again. Even the giant hand holding mine seemed warmer. Esmeralda gave me another smile, this one made me feel that I was her equal now despite her ancient gaze. "Do you have pictures of your little ones, Ms. Harrison? I like pictures. I have some of my son," Esmeralda then said like a proud mother. I couldn't help but return her smile as I began digging into my purse.

Esmeralda went to her desk and pulled some pictures out of one of the drawers. I knew darn well that I wouldn't be looking at baby pictures, which I wasn't. Esmeralda settled herself on the floor next to the couch. Harvey settled in next to me. I felt kind of awkward being next to a wolf hybrid I hardly knew but Esmeralda made me feel comfortable.

"This is my Magni or as he likes to be called Mag. He sort of takes after his father," Esmeralda said as she handed me the picture. It was a color photo of the giantess standing next to a man that could easily be playing pro basketball despite the fact Esmeralda made him look small. He was broad with long black hair like his mother's and an intense blue gaze. His features looked like they could've been carved out of stone by a master artisan despite the fact that the man was wearing what looked like biker gear. His smile showed perfect white teeth. He looked more like he should be on the cover of a romance novel instead of wearing leather pants and a jacket.

"He's very handsome," I tell the giantess. Sad thing is, I wasn't lying. I decided to mentally put that image away for a later time. You know, for when I'm feeling lonely.

"Show me your children. I want to see them," Esmeralda said with anticipation. I have a strong feeling the frost giantess doesn't get too many visitors much less ones that have anything in common with her. I pull out the snapshot I used to carry around in my cigarette case. Since I decided to quit smoking, I decided it was high time to throw away the case. I handed her the picture that looked roughly the size of a post-it note in her grasp. "They are adorable," she cooed. "I miss my Magni being that young. His father took him from me when he was only ten. Said he had to become a true warrior and that I coddled him too much. Enjoy these times with them, Ms. Harrison because they grow up so quickly."

"Call me Belinda," I finally said and Esmeralda smiled.

"Very well, Belinda. Call me Esmeralda. I'd like to meet your children sometime. Don't worry about the witches. They were all kicked out of their 'respected covens' for refusing to sacrifice and exploit. Your Isabelle is safe here as is your Andrew. You're welcome in my home anytime," Esmeralda said, giving me a warm smile. Some of the loneliness in her ancient eyes seems to have faded. I guess it's going to be nice having friends in high places.

Harvey showed me out the tall door and back into the store where I saw Auggie glaring up at a large red-headed man dressed in biker gear. The man was easily six and half feet tall and quite broad with shoulders that strained his leather jacket, It was decorated with the emblem of a lightning bolt on the back and T.G.M.C above it in some sort of odd letters that I would later find out were actually runes. His long red hair was pulled back with a leather tie and as I got a better look, I could see that he was wearing wrap around shades and had long beard bristling from his chin. Auggie and Jareth were both looking up at him with looks that could kill.

"I guess I'll be on my way. She'll get lonely eventually," said the tall scary biker in a smug tone. He turned slightly and I thought I saw what looked like an ancient sledge hammer attached to his belt. He walked like no one I had ever seen before. He had an arrogance about him and as he opened the main door, I heard a loud crack of thunder nearby.

"Bloody asshole! I'd kick his bleeding butt to kingdom come if I could," Jareth growled. I have a strong feeling that arrogant biker was pretty much untouchable or way too powerful for the supes of Karma's Backbone to take on.

"Calm down before Mag comes. He doesn't need to see how much his father pisses us off," Auggie tells the riled up goblin. "I need to get B back home to her brood. I'll be back in time to see Mag if the North Man doesn't expect anything. Drink a stiff one for me till then."

"Right Auggie," Jareth said as he walked us out the empty store where he locked the door and put up the Closed sign.


	33. Chapter 33

**Half the fun of writing this piece is adding ancient myths to modern times. I've had a lot of fun writing this chapter. I've also enjoyed the reviews and word of encouragement I receive. I know the Belinda character is obscure but that's half the fun of creating her backstory. I hope I can make you all smile because I feel some angst on the horizon. Thanks to my rock and beta, treewitch703!**

"I'm so glad you and Essie hit it off. She is very lonely, it's nice that she can meet someone she has something in common with," Auggie said as we drove away from downtown Shreveport, the unwitting concatenation of misfit supes, the locus for Karma's Backbone. "She has always prided herself on being a good mom, even after that bastard took Mag from her. She puts being a mother before being a warrior any day," Auggie's commentary paused while she coped with a crazy driver trying to cut her off. She stayed level headed and just went on.

"He's not much of a looker. I mean Esmeralda's lover. I'd say Mag got his mom's looks," I said thinking back on the photograph of the frost giantess with her very handsome son. One if these days I'll have a photograph of me with my grown up son, although I have a feeling it is going to be Andy towering over his dear mother, not like Esmeralda and Mag.

"No he is not, although Essie says he's a god in the sack when he wants to be," Auggie said with a playful smirk like she made some sort of inside joke that left me blinking, curious. "Mag is planning on staying this time. Thor always forbade him visiting this realm but Mag is a good 'ole momma's boy at heart and never really liked listening to his dad. It completely devastated Essie the day Thor came and took Mag away from her. Ever since then, Mag sneaks out whenever he can, against his father's wishes of course," Auggie then said in a more serious tone. I just sat there with my jaw agape.

"You mean that was the thunder god himself?" was all I could manage to say.

"The one and only. Esmeralda is not her real name. Jarnsaxa adored Victor Hugo's Hunchback of Notre Dame and took on the name of the gypsy heroine . I guess it has always suited her. Essie and I have always sort of always lived like gypsies," Auggie said and then sighed. The life of an immortal must be hard. This was just too much to wrap my little head around. I nearly rubbed shoulders with a god. I guess that explained all the lightning rods on the top of the roof of Karma's Backbone.

"That son of a bitch doesn't even realize that he has given us the ultimate dodge around the power company. We harness his temper tantrums to power our little business venture," Auggie said, picking up on my thoughts again. "He gets pissed every time Essie refuses to give in to his booty calls and he usually flings his power around like a bratty little child. Men," Auggie groaned like a woman of experience. I know I'll never think of the bedtime stories Eric tells Izzy the same way. I'll just keep my yap shut about this and let the Viking tell Izzy his romanticized version of things.

"Auggie, have you ever been in love or had a lover?" I asked, coming out of left field and having no idea why I would ask such a nosy question. Auggie raised her eyebrow.

"Once, a long time ago when I young and new. He was a human and a Viking no less. His tribe made fun of him for being small. He sure didn't fit the Viking ideal. He used his brain instead of his brawn since he wasn't very muscular; the others in the tribe never let him tag along on raids. Alvi had a spirit that others couldn't touch and he loved me despite the fact that I was considered ugly because of my unusual teeth. No one knew about my ears because I kept them covered all the time but there was really no hiding my teeth. Some thought they just rotted that way but Alvi knew the truth," Auggie said and sighed.

"He knew you were…different?" I asked and Auggie nodded.

"Alvi accepted me, immortality and all. We had many wild nights behind closed doors or in the woods. He loved my ears the most and hated that I had to hide them. Alvi even came to live with me and Essie in our warded home. No one in Alvi's tribe missed him but as time went on, like it always does, Alvi began to change while I stayed the same. He lived to be sixty-seven human years old which was a long time for a human to live in those days. Towards the end, I took care of him and nursed him. He wasn't in his right state the last few years. He would go back to his childhood a lot. He thought I was his little sister and Essie was our mom. It broke my heart. I should have just quietly left him instead of letting him live with us. Remembered him as he was," Auggie explained as a tear fell from her eye. I opened up an old wound and I felt bad. If she wasn't driving, I would've pulled her into a hug and let her cry it out.

"Change of subject, how's about that Remy guy?" Auggie asked with a smirk. "I noticed he had his eyes on you. Quite the cutie if you ask me. You know, in a rugged outdoorsy sort of way."

I smiled despite Auggie's sad story. I felt my face get all flushed. Remy wasn't a bad looking guy. "Don't you think he's a little old for me?" I ask my new bestie. Auggie threw her right hand up in a gesture.

"Old? I think he's perfect, give or take about twenty years. I don't think age matters much to a hunter," Auggie said with a crooked smile that showed her pointy little teeth.

"Augustine Spark, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you're trying to play matchmaker," I said rather tartly and she laughed.

The playful moment ended when from behind us I heard the roar of a motorcycle. The loud sound of the engine made me think of T-Bone and his black Harley. I cringed and Auggie glanced up at the rear view mirror. The motorcycle followed us all the way to the turn for my drive and stayed with us. I fumbled for the shoulder holster but Auggie stopped me. "It's not him," Auggie calmly said.

"Who is it?" I asked, turning around in my seat. I looked behind us to see a motorcycle, the kind that someone like T-Bone would never ride. It was a slick European crotch rocket design. Even the frame of the bike seemed a little on the tall side to be T-Bone's. The rider wore a black leather jacket with red and blue bands around the arms. His shoulders were broad but not beefy, his helmet's darkened visor obscured his face. Long dark hair whipped out behind him as Auggie slowed the VW to a stop.

As Auggie threw open her door and ran to the mysterious motorcycle rider I heard her delighted squeal. I watched her from the safety of the car. The rider put down his kickstand and swung his long leg off the bike. He was a giant that would dwarf Eric and Alcide. I watched as Auggie jumped up into his arms. She pulled off the helmet to reveal the man from the treasured photos the frost giantess/fairy hybrid showed me earlier. He was the Helen of Troy of the man world. I had never seen such flesh and blood perfection. The son of a god for sure.

"Magni! My Magni! I never thought you would actually do it. Boy, you really pissed in Odin's Cheerios this time," I heard Auggie say. I wasn't even sure Mag would understand what she meant but he let out a hearty masculine laugh.

"Oh but Aunt Astir, Odin was the one who released me. Father doesn't know it yet. He is too busy bothering mother for sex. This annoyed Odin and so as punishment, Odin has allowed me to live in this realm for as long as I like," Mag said in a deep accented voice. It sounded like Eric whenever the vampire's tongue would slip.

"Your mom will be so happy. How'd you like to work for us? We have an opening and Jareth is shitty at handling the shoplifters," Auggie said as she looked up at the half god. Mag let out that laugh again.

"Who's leaving our little family?"

"Idrina, she is going to be working for her sheriff. The fanged are planning on coming out of the shadows at the first of the year. Right now we're trying to clear out the hookahs so we can get things ready for Ruby's tattoo parlor. We still need some extra muscle. What do you say?" Auggie said, talking a mile a minute no less.

"Aunt Astir, you never change," Mag said, still laughing. "Of course I will."

"I want you to meet my friend. She has a werewolf puppy that just met his father. Just like your experience when you were ten. B is good people," Auggie said as she took Mag by the hand like a little kid at a carnival. Mag smiled down affectionately at his diminutive aunt and let Auggie take the lead.

I tried to set myself to rights before getting out of the car. I tried to hold myself tall but even then Mag had close to two feet on me. I was right about him being much taller than the vampire and the werewolf. Mag exuded power much like his father had back at the store but there was something much gentler about Mag. He definitely had a very Northern European look to him that screamed Viking. His eyes were the same shade of blue as Auggie's and Esmeralda's. The wind tugged back his raven hair and I caught a glimpse of slightly pointed ears, mind you, not as pronounced as his mother's or Auggie's. It was as if his fairy part of him had been diluted much like the giant part of him had. He gave me a smile that would make a movie star envious and not to mention made my girlie parts hum.

"Magni, this is my friend, Belinda Harrison," Auggie said as she motioned to me. I had to stop myself from eye fucking Mag. He had to have been the sexiest biker ever.

"Pleased to meet you," I drawled out.

"The pleasure is mine," Mag said as he took my hand and kissed it chastely. "Call me Mag. Mag Frost, I plan on taking my mother's name. I might try to find a different first name though, since I am here in the new world. I am told it might sound a little feminine for your country." Damn that accent and his old world manners!

"I think Mag suits you," I said and this caused another one of those 'wet my panties smiles'.

"Magni means strength," he tells me. "My father may have taken me from my mother but in Asgard I was looked upon as a bastard. I am here, where I belong. With the ones I hold dear. My true family," Mag then said as he patted Auggie's shoulder, looking down at her with love in his eyes. Auggie easily returned that look. "So I hear you have a werewolf problem?" Mag then asked. Boy, word gets around fast even in other dimensions.

Mag followed Auggie and me back to the house. He ducked to get through the door. Mag could pass for human unlike his mother. He was tall but not as stare worthy. Of course people are going to stare at him but it wouldn't just be his height that caused their eyes to look.

"Nice little home you have here, Belinda," Mag tells me as he slipped out of his fitted leather jacket. That was when I caught the full view of what a flesh and blood demigod looked like. The navy blue t-shirt strained against perfectly formed muscles and his low slung dark wash jeans clung in all the right places. I felt like excusing myself to hide in the bathroom. I really need to stop having these thoughts about my best friend's nephew, it just isn't right.

Auggie pulled me down to her level to whisper: "Mag has a way of making a girl look at him that way, it's not just you, I'll forgive you this once," she advised "Maybe Esmeralda and I should look into opening a ladies strip club but I think Monroe already has one ."

Alcide eyed the big man and growled. Mag just smiled and said, "Nice wolfie." I guess a demigod who stands seven feet tall can do whatever he damn well pleased. I was a little bit surprised he didn't try to pet the shorter man. The look in his eyes made me suspect he wanted to.

"Who the hell is he," Alcide barked out while Mag just stood there with a shit eating grin.

"He's my nephew Mag. B and I ran into him while we were out. He's just visiting," Auggie said, frowning at the Were. Amusement deepened the smile lines on her face as she watched Alcide. I must say his puzzled reaction was priceless.

"_You're_ her nephew," Alcide said looking Mag up and down. "She's _your_ aunt. No offense but how the hell are you two blood. You are way… taller and … older looking than her."

"Does it really matter, wolfie," Mag said with an amused grin. "My mother is her half-sister if you must know and yes, I am older than her by say a few hundred years, give or take," Mag looked down at Auggie with the same playful grin. "This one, he likes to ask questions?"

"You have no idea," Auggie said with an equally playful eye roll.

Mag just stood there, giving Alcide that 'deal with it' grin again. Alcide gave out his animalistic growl. I swear the roots of his hair were standing right up as he bared his teeth, acting like a wolf. "Now, now wolfie, I mean you no harm. I just want to be your friend," Mag spoke in a way you would talk to a dog. Mag then did what I was afraid he'd do, he roughed up Alcide's hair.

"Back off!" Alcide shouted at the large man. Mag just laughed. I was surprised Alcide didn't try to bite him. I'd just hoped to hell Alcide had his rabies shots.

"I am only playing with you, wolfie. If you just acted civil in the first place, I might have been nicer. What do you expect when you refuse to give me your name," Mag said. I noticed Mag never mentioned his breeding or threw his power around like parade candy. Most supernatural beings do. I guess Magni learned his manners from his momma.

"Mag, this is Alcide Herveaux, the father of B's son," Auggie said to her giant nephew.

"I am pleased to meet you, Mr. Herveaux. May I call you… Alcide?" Mag said as he bowed his head slightly. "My full name is Magni Frost but just call me Mag."

"Magni? Are you from somewhere in Europe?" Alcide asked the mountain of eye candy.

"Something like that," Mag conceded with his accented voice. Alcide just shrugged.

"Mom," I heard my son say. I looked towards the hallway where Andy and Izzy were standing. Izzy curiously eyed the giant of a man. Andy just stood there frozen at the sight of our latest guest.

"Aw, these must be your little ones, Belinda," Mag said with a more genuine smile than the one he gave Alcide. Mag took a couple of steps towards Andy and Izzy. Both of my children craned their necks to look up at him, Mag obliged by crouching down. He moved gracefully for someone who nearly scraped my ceiling. Even a basketball player didn't move with such grace. He lowered himself enough so that he was eye level with Andy and gave my boy a warm smile.

"W-W-Who are you?" Andy managed to stutter out.

"My name is Magni Frost. You are one of Odin's wolves," Mag said as he locked his gaze on Andy. Andy didn't know what to say. "The wolf king," Mag then muttered.

"My name is Andrew Harrison and this is my sister, Isabelle. You can call us Andy and Izzy," Andy said, trying to break free of Mag's stare. Surprisingly, it worked.

"Call me Mag," he said as he got a look at Izzy. "You are a pretty one," he complimented Izzy and she granted him one of her rare smiles. My daughter had developed a love for Vikings as of late so it didn't surprise me that she then jumped into Mag's arms, giving him a hug. Mag picked her up and Izzy didn't seem to mind at all, in fact she was laughing.

"You're big," Izzy states the obvious. Mag just lets out that hearty laugh of his. "You're a Viking like my friend Eric. He's a vampire."

"I would like to meet your Viking friend, little one. I hear he is an honorable man," Mag said.

"He should be waking up soon. It's almost dark," Izzy told the giant. Mag smiled warmly at my daughter, obviously Vikings loved her in return.

As soon as dusk had settled in, Eric came waltzing out from the hidey-hole in my closet. He must've had a hidden wardrobe as well because he had changed into a crisp white shirt and dark wash jeans. His blond hair flowed freely around his shoulders. He gave me a smile until he spied Mag holding Izzy. His eyes widened and if it was possible for him to turn any paler, he would.

"Son of Thor," he muttered. I wasn't just an exclamation but a fact. Yep, Magni Frost is the son of Thor.


	34. Chapter 34

**Thank you all for all your lovely reviews! I also want to thank my most prized beta, treewitch703!**

I never realized just how big and tall Mag was until I saw him next to Eric and Alcide. He had to have a whole foot on the both of them. The big difference between Mag and a really tall person is that everything about Mag is proportional just like it is with his mom. I wondered where the hell Mag and Esmeralda found clothes to fit. Izzy looked like a toddler in his strong arms. Eric looked up at the giant in bemusement much like I probably had upon meeting Mag's mother. The only difference being is that Eric didn't have as far to look up as I did and Esmeralda was way bigger than her son.

Eric knelt down like a Catholic before the Pope. He bowed his head and Mag just smiled down at him. "Oh great son of Thor, I honor you," Eric said as if in worship of the giant man. Mag just laughed.

"I have one who wants to bite my arse and one who wants to kiss it. What's a demigod to do?" Mag joked. He then gave Izzy a smile and she laughed. "What do you think of that little one?"

"Eric is my angel and friend. Alcide is Andy's dad so I don't know what to think," Izzy said to the big man holding her. She acted the same way around Mag as she would with Eric or Auggie, more like an actual little girl than an expressionless effigy .

"I see. This Viking is your angel? Isn't he kind of small for an angel?" Mag playfully asked my little girl and Izzy laughs.

"No silly! You're extra big!" Izzy exclaims in laughter. I have a strong feeling that Mag the demigod has a way with the ladies, no matter what the age.

Mag gives Izzy a surprised yet playful look. Izzy couldn't stop her laughter. "You really think so, little one?" Mag playfully asked her and she nodded in return. "I kind of always thought of myself as a 'runt'," Mag then said and Izzy cracked up some more.

"Are you a giant?" Izzy then asked the sexy as hell demigod.

"Only part giant. My mother is a half frost giant. My mother is bigger than me and the other giants are bigger than her, so you see, I am a runt among the other Jotunns," Mag recounted his linage for Izzy.

"Your mom can't fit in our house," Izzy said, scanning the ceiling from her lofty vantage point. The warehouse seemed like a logical place for Esmeralda to live now that Izzy pointed out the obvious. Here I was, all set to invite Esmeralda to the small Christmas Eve gathering I was planning. Just me, the children and a few friends give or take. I enjoyed Thanksgiving so much I thought it would be fun to celebrate Christmas too. Plus I felt bad that Auggie spent time here instead of with her own family.

"It's okay B; I've got a tent I can let you borrow. Essie likes the outdoors anyway, except in the summer. It's way too hot for her. Besides I think the kids would really enjoy sledding down that nice hill towards the woods. Essie can arrange it. Just invite Jareth, he's usually Essie wheel man anyway, although his VW bus can get a little cramped for her," Auggie said, sending me a playful grin. I've gotten quite used to her worming around my thoughts.

Eric stayed kneeling at Mag's feet. "I forgot about our Viking friend, little one. Should I tell him that it's okay to stand up?" Mag asked my daughter. Mag seemed to be enjoying himself with the game of which supe can I piss off more.

"I would, it's not nice to make him stay on the floor like that," Izzy scolded him and Mag rumbled out that masculine chuckle. He kissed Izzy's forehead just like Eric always did.

"You are right, little one. Not only are you pretty but smart as well. Don't let anyone tell you differently," Mag said and gave Izzy a gentle hug. "People in Asgard weren't very nice to me either. Of course being born after Loki didn't help much. The people of Asgard have had nothing but grief from him. So when father brought me to Asgard and the people could see that I was big like Loki, the people didn't want to have another frost giant's child getting around. Father convinced the people that I would grow into a great warrior someday and I did. I proved to the denizens of Asgard that I was nothing like Loki just as you have proven to be something more, little one."

"Mag, will you tell me more?" Izzy asks.

"Whatever you would like to hear from this old demigod but for now I must ask the Viking to stand and please never bow to me again. Those days have long passed. I live in this realm now with my true family. Not in the realm of boisterous gods. I want to be thought of as a fellow supernatural being and nothing more," Mag said as he spoke to both Izzy and Eric. Izzy snuggled her face into Mag's chest and Mag gently hugged her again.

"I can hear your heart beat," Izzy told the giant. "It's loud. Eric doesn't have a heartbeat," Izzy said as she kept her ear to Mag's chest. "Vampires don't have heartbeats. It doesn't bother me any. Just because Eric's heart doesn't beat, doesn't mean he can't love."

"You are wise, little one. One of the wisest creatures I have ever met. I shall give you to your friend since you are so fond of him. I would like to make many more friends like you, Izzy," Mag said and laid a squeaky kiss on my little girl's cheek before handing her to Eric. Izzy gave Eric a big hug like she always does when she saw him. Mag patted her head and smiled down at her, my daughter and her Vikings.

"You have found quite a treasure, Viking, even if you've had to live a thousand years to find it. You could live a thousand more and never come across another such as Izzy. Take good care of her, she is one of a kind," Mag told Eric.

Eric had been speechless ever since he had come face to face with the demigod. "I will Son of T…, I mean Magni," Eric said quietly while looking up at Mag's handsome face. Mag just smiled kindly at Eric.

"Do you have a name, Viking?" Mag asks.

"Eric Northman," Eric simply replied.

"Eric Northman, the name suits you. I go by Magni Frost but you can just call me Mag. Don't think of me as the son of a god. Just think of me as a friend and fellow supe. I am through with being worshiped," Mag said as he held his hand out to Eric. Mag obviously had no clue about vampire etiquette. Vampires don't do the touchy feely stuff, but Eric grasped his hand anyway and shook it.

"I must be on my way. Mother is waiting," Mag said, I retrieved his jacket. He bent down to kiss his Aunt Auggie on the cheek. Alcide let out a low growl and that only sparked the return of Mag's playful grin. "Come now, wolfie, I am not your enemy. Belinda has something urgent she wishes to discuss with Eric and my aunt. We should be on our way."

"What if I don't want to go," Alcide snarled, Mag just laughed. "You may be big but you are no god of mine."

"I am not a full god, just the son of one," Mag said still playing at the game of piss off the werewolf.

"I don't have to listen to you," Alcide growled.

I had no idea what kind of powers Mag possessed and frankly, I didn't want to know - but a very dumb werewolf seemed to want to find out. Familiar blue rings darkened around Mag's irises, much like his mother's did when I first met her. The climate of my house began to change as a shiver ran down my spine. Izzy snuggled closer to Eric and the vampire held her tight.

"Herveaux, you fool," Eric hissed out.

"Eric, I'm cold," Izzy said through her chattering teeth. Mag turned to Eric and looked down to Izzy. His eyes began to change back. Mag had only given us a small taste of his power but it was enough to get Alcide shaking in his work boots. Eric grabbed the blanket from the back of the couch to wrap around Izzy. Then using his vamp speed he got a quilt from my bedroom and tucked it around my shoulders. Alcide just stood there in disbelief as Mag smiled down at him.

"That was only a taste of what I can do. Don't try me, wolfie. You are just lucky that there are humans in the room or otherwise I wouldn't have held back. You are also lucky that my powers are diluted and nothing like my mother's," Mag tells Alcide. Mag then looks to Izzy again. That warm smile formed on his lips as he petted her head. "I am so sorry, little one. You forgive me?"

"I understand, Alcide makes me mad sometimes too. I forgive you," Izzy said and Mag lets out that strong laugh again.

"Come my lupine friend, we shall let these good people be," Mag says and this time Alcide listens. He slunk out to his truck like he had his tail tucked between his legs. I couldn't help but smile. It must be hard not always being the alpha.

"Thank you for being so gracious," Mag tells me as he takes my hand and gives it a chaste kiss. Damn his Viking charm because this only caused my cheeks to blush. After that cold spell, I wasn't sure my blood was even pumping. Guess I was wrong. "I hope I will have the privilege of seeing you again soon," Mag added, working better than the quilt to warm my girlie parts.

Auggie pulled his hand away from mine. "She will Mag," Auggie said sounding exasperated by her nephew's womanizing ways. This must be typical behavior from her nephew. "Now if you will be on your way," Auggie said as she tried to push that wall of man out the door but there was a couple of problems with that. Even though Mag was way stronger than Auggie and he generously went along in the direction her little hands were pushing he forgot to duck to get through the door frame and accidentally smacked his head. Izzy laughed at the giant who gave her an amused wink before ducking out on his way.

Auggie rolled her eyes when she had shut the door behind the demigod and the werewolf. "I don't know what to do about that boy sometimes. What do you expect when he spends most of his time around Vikings," Auggie said with another eye roll.

"I can't believe that Magni, the son of Thor is your nephew," Eric said, staring down at the small woman.

"Yeah he is and he can be quite the handful," Auggie said with another eye roll.

"That means your sister is…," Eric said and Auggie cut him off.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah my half-sister is the frost giantess Jarnsaxa. She's not full-blooded you know. We share the same mother," Auggie said answering Eric's next question.

"I've known you for years and you never said anything about it," Eric grumbled, still in shock.

"She doesn't want too many people knowing that she exists in this realm and has for millennia. I suggest that you respect that, North Man," Auggie said, giving Eric a little taste of her power as light coruscated from her fingertips. Eric raised his hands to shield himself but he knew his effort would be little or no use. Auggie just smiled as she dropped her hands to her sides.

"Andy, do you mind taking Izzy to her room? We adults have some important matters to discuss," I tell my pup.

"Izzy and I can't be separated. I just know that's what you're going to talk about. I'm not going anywhere without her, mom," Andy argued as he held back his tears. "Nothing is going to happen to you. I won't let it," Andy vowed, giving me a hug.

"I don't plan on anything happening to me but I need to cover all the bases just in case. You understand?" I tell that wise beyond his years son of mine. "We always need a back up plan and I want to arrange it so that you and Izzy can still be together if worse comes to worst."

I kissed Andy's forehead and hugged him a little tighter. God, I love my son more than any other man in my life. Men can come and go but Andy will always be there, werewolf or not.

Auggie made some cocoa while I heated Eric some blood. Hey, it's good practice for working in a vampire bar. All three of us settled around the kitchen table for one of the most important talks of my life.

"B is worried about what she's going to do with Izzy when she meets her final death. We need to resolve this now, in the eventuality T-Bone gets to her before we can get to him," Auggie said looking straight at Eric.

"I agree. We need to settle this because I don't foresee The Long Tooth Pack taking in your daughter, unless it is to use her for the pack's gain. Izzy is very powerful and the wolves are in need of a shaman. Some packs are known not to care if that shaman is a child or not," Eric said, giving me a serious look. He reached across the table and took my hand in his cold grasp. In the short time I've known Eric; I knew that even though he is undead and stronger than me in so many ways, I sensed that he truly cares in his own inscrutable way.

"Don't we need a lawyer or something to make out a will?" I ask, trying not to convey my distress over the thought of my little girl at the mercy of the world.

"B, I know this is hard for you," Auggie said as she took my other hand. Silence filled the room.

"I can take her in under my ægis. She will be given the best care and education possible but I cannot always be there with her every night. I have an area to run," Eric said as he squeezed my hand.

"Esmeralda and I wouldn't mind keeping her for you B but she needs to be around other humans to help her to truly grow," Auggie said as she squeezed my other hand.

"She needs to go somewhere," I said. Eric all the sudden gave me an evil smirk.

"Perhaps I can _convince_ Alcide to take her in under certain conditions," He just simply said. I really didn't want to know what Eric's idea of 'convincing' was. My ears heard 'convince' but it sounded more like 'bully'. I didn't want that. I wanted Alcide to take Izzy in on his own terms and not Eric's.

"No, no, I don't want Alcide taking her unless he wants to. Besides, I'm pretty sure that he is aware of Andy's attachment to his sister," I said, standing up to the vampire. Eric raised an eyebrow.

"Izzy doesn't like changes but perhaps I might have a solution," Auggie intervened. I was all ears. My best bud had to have been the wisest person I knew short of Daddy Joe. "Eric, you can give her some semblance of stability, even if it is with nannies and hired help. If push comes to shove, I can move in to your place and be that live in nanny. That way Izzy has a place she can feel at home and someone she is used to being around . Of course she will still be going to go to her normal school and everything. That way she will still get human exposure. We can also work with the pack and Alcide so that Andy may have daily visits. When she becomes an adult, we can give her the option of staying at your place or moving into an apartment with Andy if he still wants the burden of caring for her. Option three can be with me and Esmeralda. Either way, she'll get what she needs. Most importantly, she'll have love and protection. All of us are more than capable of giving her those things," Auggie explained.

"What about the legal stuff?" I asked and Auggie smiled.

"Nothing to worry about, B. We've had centuries of practice of getting around human laws and regulations. How'd you think we've never been found out? As far as human red tape goes, I'm Augustine Spark, a twenty-one year old female record store manager. Esmeralda Frost is a five foot ten shut in due to some sort of crippling disease. You see, we have our ways," Auggie said.

"What about after the first of the year?" Eric asked. "I'm sure human legislation will forbid a vampire from having human children in their custody. After the first of the year, vampires are going to be expected to follow human laws."

"Not if we get the right lawyer and have the paperwork grandfathered. I know of a very good demon lawyer in New Orleans that can have the paperwork wrote up in a week. Mr. C is the best. Why do you think your Queen uses him?" Auggie said, switching her gaze to Eric. She then turned her eyes to me. "What'd you say B? Sounds like a solid plan for your daughter's future?"

I nodded and Eric agreed. If something were to happen to me, Izzy was going to be the ward of a vampire. At least it's a vampire I can trust. I let out a relieved sigh. I just hope this Mr. C can have the paper work done before anything terrible happens.


	35. Chapter 35

**Special thanks to my readers and my beta, treewitch703. I love you all!**

Izzy was fast asleep while her blond guardian angel watched over her. Eric held the most precious doll in her collection. It's not made of plastic and synthetic hair but is a simple carved wooden spoon wrapped in woolen cloth.

"Your daughter reminds me of my Astrid," Eric said as I paused at the door to Izzy's room. "I miss her. I miss all of my family. I can't let the others know that. Vampires are forced to erase their human lives once they are turned. It will be so different once we reveal our kind to the world."

"I'm sure it will be," I said as I leaned against the door frame. Curiosity gripped me. There was something I'd been meaning to ask Eric and right now seemed like as good of time as any. "Did Astrid act like my daughter? I mean, did she act autistic?"

"There were as many names for it as there were villages but autism wasn't one of them. Children like Isabelle would be thought of as foolish, changelings or witches even. I never let anyone talk about my Astrid that way. She was special. Astrid had her routines I guess, much like your daughter does. My wife and I loved her dearly even though she wasn't like the other children. Astrid sort of lived in her own world. I guess now that I think about it, she did act what they call autistic now, much like your daughter does," Eric said, giving me a small but sad smile. He stroked Izzy's hair while Izzy lay on her stomach clutching one of her many dolls. This one had black hair, one she rarely played with. I don't know if I was detecting a pattern here. Usually Izzy slept with her blond baby doll. I guess after meeting Mag, she took an interest in that particular doll again.

"Lock up when you're done here. I'm tired, it's been a long day," I said with a yawn. At vampire speed, Eric stood right in front of me. He cupped my chin and raised it to meet my eyes.

"We made the best choice for your daughter's future. I will never turn her unless that is what she chooses. I was turned against my will. I just want you to know this," he whispered and leaned down towards me as if he was ready to kiss me. I put my hand up.

"House rules, remember," I whispered back before his lips could touch mine. Eric smiled and kissed my forehead instead.

"I nearly forgot my human lesson," he said with a playful smirk. "Never kiss a human on the lips unless I want them to fall in love with me. You breathers and your silly little vulnerabilities," Eric then said with a low laugh. He then pulled me into his embrace. It felt nice having strong arms hold me, even if those cool arms belonged to my boss slash fuck buddy.

"You wouldn't mind if we fucked again, now would you?" Eric said giving me that playful one sided smile.

"No I wouldn't but a place and time when the kids aren't around," I said blushing.

"I have a nice leather couch in my office that still hasn't been broken in. Maybe that would be a nice place to fuck?" Eric said with an hopeful look. I couldn't help but laugh.

"Well, since you don't need to wine and dine me. The couch would be a great place to fuck but just so you know, if you fuck someone you truly care about, you better be willing to get a hotel room. If you truly love them, make it a five star suite. Consider it your human lesson for the night," I said, unable to wipe the smile off my face.

"How's about we fuck tonight?" Eric asked as he stroked my hair. I yawned.

"I hate to rain on your parade but I'm a little beat tonight. It's been a long day," I said as I started for my bedroom.

"Perhaps I can keep you company until the sun rises? You can tell me about Thor," Eric said like a little kid wanting to meet his hero.

"There's not much to say but if it'll make you happy, I guess I can tell you," I said as I looked up into those sapphire orbs and playfully patted his cheek. He grabbed my hand and gently kissed it. I blushed again. Maybe it wasn't just the kiss on the lips that made you fall in love? I wasn't about to contradict myself and take everything back that I ever told Eric about human responses.

Eric undressed himself down to his jeans and lay on top of the covers while I slipped in under the warmth of the blankets. He put his arms around me as I told him about my day. Eric seemed to like these little sessions of pillow talk as much as the sex. Sometimes I didn't know what to make of it. I'd never had a man fully listen to everything I had to say before but Eric always seemed interested, even if it was only something as ordinary as talking about what the kids had been up to or if it had rained. Sometimes I think he was trying to absorb my mannerisms and behavior. Hate to tell him this, but I'm not a very good example.

I told him about my close encounter with one of his gods. I told him about Karma's Backbone and the frost giantess/fairy hybrid that I bonded with over photographs. I even told him about Mag and how Mag treated Alcide. Eric laughed about that and cursed the daylight that kept him from witnessing it. Shortly after telling him this, I drifted off.

"Wake up B," said Auggie smiling at me from the chaise lounge. "We got another busy day ahead of us. Essie wants me to bring you and kids to see her. You must've really made an impression on her. She usually doesn't want to visit with people this often," Auggie said, talking a mile a minute as she pulled a pair of jeans and my favorite green sweater from the closet. At least Auggie had the sense to pick out warm clothes.

"Up, up," she said as she pulled me out of bed. She giggled. "Come on, I know nothing happened last night. You'll feel better after your morning cup."

"Not much of a morning person lately," I moaned and Auggie giggled some more.

"That's what you get for hanging out with a vampire," Auggie playfully scolded. Why the hell does she have to be so damned perky in the morning? "She wants us there before the store opens," Auggie then said as she sat me down at the vanity. Auggie brushed my hair while I yawned away and drank the cup of joe she'd put in front of me. I felt like a spoiled princess this morning. Auggie pondered what to do with the blazing mess on my head and decided it looked much better down.

"You have very beautiful hair B. I don't know why you don't wear it down more often," Auggie said. Funny, but a certain Viking vampire has told me that, more than once too. Auggie just used a pick on the tangles and arranged my curls in a pleasing way. "You don't need any make-up either. I think the freckles add just the right amount of character to your cheeks. Too bad your baby blues have to be framed by those glasses of yours. Maybe we can get you some stylin' frames? Just a little lip gloss is all you need," Auggie said as she primped me. Obviously I didn't need polished. Auggie saw a natural beauty that I wasn't aware of. Oh well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and all that jazz.

I put the shoulder holster on underneath my warm winter coat. I hated that I had to wear this thing every time I left the house but I wasn't about to break my promise to Eric. Just as we were heading out to the car, Alcide's black pickup pulled into the drive. The werewolf seemed eager for some reason. Andy and Izzy both had already climbed into the backseat while Auggie stood at the driver's side door and I was at the passenger side. We watched as Alcide quickly got out of his truck.

"Good news! Long Tooth traced T-Bone's scent out of the state of Louisiana. According to the Full Moon Pack in Monroe, T-Bone bolted when he saw you with your demigod friend," Alcide said, looking straight at me.

"It's not like T-Bone to back down. I doubt this is over with," I said, knowing darn well T-Bone is probably planning something much slimier to get Andy under his nasty paws. "I'm still going to watch my back. T-Bone is a dyed-in-the-wool sadist."

Alcide's eyes widened. "Maybe that guy Mag can stop him?" Alcide said.

"Mag doesn't like to interfere in the affairs of men unless he sees the injustice with his own eyes. Most of the gods quit doing that long ago. Mag likes B and the kids but he refuses to track T-Bone down even though he easily could. He is more than capable of killing him too but Mag refuses to use his godly powers as long as he is living here," Auggie said with an indifferent tone.

"Refuses to use his godly powers my ass!" Alcide barked.

"Look wolf, you provoked him yesterday. Mag doesn't like rude people. Besides, that wasn't Mag's godly power, it was a family thing and a diluted version of it at that," Auggie said as she glared up at Alcide.

"If that wasn't his godly magic, I'd hate to see what he can really do," Alcide mumbled. Auggie smirked, "Yes, you would."

"Thank you for coming by, Alcide but B and I gotta get gone. We have an appointment we need to get to," Auggie told Alcide. I watched as he got back into his truck and drove away.

Auggie drove us to Karma's Backbone while Izzy and Andy sat quietly in the backseat. Izzy held her blond baby doll on her lap. Fortunately Auggie had talked her out of bringing the precious spoon doll.

Auggie zipped into a parking space in front of the store. Security blinds covered the windows, but I doubt Karma's Backbone needed those for ordinary reasons. Karma's Backbone hid a very big secret in the form of a frost giantess/fairy hybrid. Jareth stood at the door, waiting to let us in. He was wearing his signature black leather and a stud belt that sat loosely around his hips. Just like Auggie, he had a love of hair streaks and dye. Today he had red streaks in his bleached hair to match the t-shirt he wore under all that leather.

Auggie hopped out of the car and pulled on her black cat knit hat that sort of complimented the bright red pea coat she was wearing. Auggie helped both Izzy and Andy out of the backseat while I examined the façade of Karma's Backbone. The customers that had been coming in and out of the red brick warehouse had distracted me from the changes to its industrial look. Beautiful blue mosaic tiles set into the walk way led up to the tall wooden doors. Two giant dark blue planters, home to robust silvery fan palms flanked the entrance . Someone had gotten in the spirit of the season and fastened red bows to the fans. Except for the closed steel blinds and the commercial sign above the door, Karma's Backbone looked like it could've been someone's house.

"Fancy seeing you again," Jareth said as he held open the door. "These must be the little ones," he added and flashed his pointy tooth smile.

"What are you?" Andy asked the aspiring goblin king.

"My name is Jareth and I'm a goblin. You must be Belinda's pup. Mag has told us all about you," Jareth said, giving my son an admiring gaze. "He said your name is Andrew and this lovely creature is your sister Isabelle," Jareth then said with that same nightmare smile.

Izzy blankly stared at Jareth, unsure of what to make of the goblin. Jareth gave Andy a serious look and stopped him before he could enter the store. "You must bloody promise me that you won't breathe a word of what you see here boy. I've got loved ones to protect, you understand," Jareth said and Andy nodded. "Good, now get on in with you," Jareth said as he ruffled Andy's hair. Andy let out a small growl. "Bloody little scrapper aren't you? That's the sign of a good king," Jareth said with a playful (if a nightmare could be playful) smile. Jareth extended his hand to let Andy know that there were no hard feelings. Andy smiled before licking Jareth's hand.

"Yuck, bloody wolf spit!" Jareth exclaimed as he wiped his hand on his t-shirt. Andy and even Izzy laughed. I don't know what it is about Izzy and supernatural. It is like the actual little girl comes out when she is around the extraordinary. "I suppose you find that bloody funny," Jareth said playfully as he turned to Izzy and she nodded. Jareth eyes began to glow around the irises. Instead of showing his power, Jareth just gave Izzy a playful wink of his blue eye. Izzy smiled up at the skinny goblin.

Once we got inside, I noticed all the witches and Carrie working on the displays. Carrie stocked her shelves full of bags of coffee beans from different parts of the world. Mag emerged from the double doors behind Carrie's coffee kiosk. He had on the requisite laminated tag hanging around his neck and an extra-long black stock boy's apron tied around his slender hips. Mag didn't see us when he put the box down next to Carrie. Carrie leaned back to admire his backside as he started stocking the top shelf. I swear I could hear her purring like a cat every time Mag bent down to get more coffee. Mag's raven hair was pulled back with a leather strap and I finally got a good look at his only inhuman feature, slightly pointed ears. He turned around and saw me. He strode on over. Someone Mag's size doesn't walk, he strides. His legs are far too long to move at normal speed even if he wasn't a demigod. He gave me that smile that makes me feel like I'm ready to combust at any moment.

In the short time I've been around the demigod I realized a few things about him. One, he's the hottest looking man on the face of the earth. Two, he doesn't like rude people much and three; he is not only a very attractive but also an amiable giant. The third was only confirmed when he scooped me up off the ground into a nearly rib crushing hug. I couldn't help but laugh. Mag had a way about him especially if you happen to be a female.

"So good to see you again, Belinda," he says as he gently deposited me back on the ground. "Mother will be so happy to see you again."

"It's good to see you too," I said as I playfully punched the wall of hot demigod in the arm. Mag made me feel like a school girl all over again. Mag roared out that infectious laugh of his. "What'd they got you doing here?'

"I'm the new stock boy," Mag said proudly in his rich Scandinavian accent.

"He's too much of a bloody distraction for the customers," Jareth leaned down and whispered in my ear. "You should've seen the gaggle of birds the other day when he joined me outside for a smoke. There was no way in bloody hell that Esmeralda was going to put him out front in the store full time, although it is nice to have some eye candy around." That comment only confirmed what I actually thought about Jareth, he's gay.

"That's right Rumpelstiltskin," I heard that familiar tympanic voice say. "Keep in mind that that's my boy you're talking about, goblin."

I didn't have to look to know who the voice belonged to; I could feel it in the sudden draft. When I turned I saw Esmeralda resting her arm along the top of a typical store shelving unit. You know the kind that requires a ladder to reach the top shelf. Esmeralda didn't have that problem nor would she ever.

As always Esmeralda was a sight to behold, that's aside from her nine foot plus frame casually propping her elbow on that top shelf. Today she had a ruffled ruby spaghetti strap tank and cargo shorts. Shoes obviously weren't part of Esmeralda's dress code. Ruby seemed to be a good color for her though. It showcased her pale skin and black hair as well as her icy blue eyes. Comfort came before style for the giantess but I sighed as I realized she would make a burlap sack look good.

I returned Esmeralda's smile but Andy just froze in shock. Izzy had that same quizzical look she had with Mag. Whereas Izzy appeared toddler size next to Mag with Esmeralda she looked closer to the size of a newborn baby. Esmeralda just gave both my kids a warm, motherly smile.

"You're Mag's mom," Izzy blurted out. This only caused the giantess to smile more widely. Esmeralda was very proud of her demigod son.

"Why yes I am, little one. What's your name?" Esmeralda asked my daughter as she crouched down as low as her large frame would allow - which was still a head taller than me.

"My name is Isabelle but everyone calls me Izzy," my daughter says, totally unafraid. "This is my brother, Andy. He's a werewolf."

"Oh my, well he certainly is the finest looking werewolf I've ever seen," Esmeralda said, engaging my daughter in conversation. "What color is his fur?"

"Andy has totally black fur like his Dad's," Izzy answered. Neither Izzy nor I have ever seen Alcide in full wolf form but it didn't surprise me that she knew this and it didn't surprise Andy either. "Alcide, that's Andy's dad. He's a pretty big wolf but I think Andy is going to be bigger than him."

Esmeralda looks Andy up and down and turns her gaze back down to Izzy. "I can see that," she answers my daughter.

Jareth tugs on one of the ruffles on Esmeralda's top to get her attention. "Store is going to be opening soon, Esmeralda. Ruby and I are going to be raising the blinds," Esmeralda nods.

"That's my cue to hide. Come on back, I've got an apartment there," Esmeralda said as she rose to her full height. Yeah, there was no way in hell she could ever fit into an ordinary house. She could probably see the whole entire store from where she stood, over the top of shelves and all.

We scurried after the giantess who had shortened her steps for our benefit. I don't think a marathon runner would be able to keep up with her, even at a normal pace. Esmeralda led us to a different door than to the one that led to her office. This door was elaborately carved also but it had a lock under the brass door knob. The lock had a real keyhole, the type you had to use one of those old fashioned keys to open. Esmeralda pulled a set of keys out of the pocket of her shorts, I swear they were as big as hammers, and of very old design. The doorknob, lock and keys all looked to be of ordinary size in her hand. She held open the door once it was opened and my motley crew paraded into the giant apartment and when I mean giant, I mean that everything inside it had been made for a giant.

Esmeralda's apartment was decorated very tastefully. Everything had the aura of Scandinavian antiques. A beautiful grandfather clock held pride of place on the wall adjacent to a vast stone hearth. Doilies embroidered with bluebirds and flowers accented the furniture. The space seemed homey except for the ancient sword and shield above the fireplace. These must have been remnants of a time long past, way before even Auggie was born when weapons no doubt made the giant.

"Welcome to my home," Esmeralda said proudly. As nice as the space was, I felt bad for Esmeralda. This place was more than a home for her; it was also her personal prison. "Make yourselves comfortable while I get us some refreshments," Esmeralda added as she disappeared into another room.

"Don't feel bad for her, B. Essie gets out once in a while. Every year she visits some of her people living up in Washington State. Ever heard of Bigfoot?" Auggie said as she scrambled up on the couch.

"You mean…" I couldn't seem to get the words out.

"Oh no, they don't look like big apes. They dress like that to mess with the humans. Essie's versions of sitcoms are those documentaries on Bigfoot. Talk about inaccurate," Auggie snickered while I helped Izzy up on the couch.

"Mom, she's big," Andy said, still in shock.

"Yeah I know son, don't be rude. How would you like people making fun of your lupine side?" I said. Jesus, I must be getting used to this life. Scary huh?

"I wouldn't," Andy responded.

"Well, don't stare. Esmeralda's proud of being half giant," I scolded my son. As we were getting settled my cell phone rang. I didn't recognize the number but I excused myself to a corner of Esmeralda's living room to answer it. God, I felt small in here.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Belinda, this is Daryl. I was wondering if you could go check on the old man? He hasn't been in here yet today and you know how he is about being here. I'd do it myself but there is quite a crowd here at the restaurant," Daryl said, sounded extremely concerned. Hell, I was extremely concerned too. Daddy Joe was always the first one there and the last one to leave. Hell or high water, he never missed a day unless he was fishing or hunting and even then, he always gave fair notice.

"I'll be right on over. I'll call and tell you what's going on," I reassure the cook. Daryl thanked me as I was hanging up.

I must've looked the sight because Auggie was right at my side before I knew it and her giantess half-sister was looming over me with a plate of chocolate chip cookies.

"What is it B?" Auggie asks. "Who was that on the phone?"

"It's Daryl. Daddy Joe didn't show up at the shack this morning. Daryl thinks something may have happened to him," I said.

"Oh B, we have to go and see if he's okay," Auggie said as she tucked her arm around me.

"I don't know what to do about the kids. I don't want them tagging along if it's something bad," I said out of paranoia. Thoughts of T-Bone floated through my mind. That son of a bitch knew how to cover his tracks. Something the Long Tooth Pack was unaware of.

"I can watch the kids for you, Belinda," Esmeralda offered.

"I'll pay you," I said out of habit and Esmeralda just smiled. I didn't know Esmeralda well enough to merit free babysitting.

"Save your money, sweetheart. I want to do this. Besides I don't see your children being a problem," Esmeralda said. "I miss having a little one around actually."

I agreed to let the motherly giant watch my kids. Good thing I made Izzy wear her warmest sweater. Auggie had this safety in numbers approach when we left and she didn't want me going alone to Daddy Joe's. To be honest, I didn't really feel safe venturing out alone these days anyway. I worried about this being a trap.


	36. Chapter 36

**First of all, I want to thank my lovely beta treewitch703 for all her wonderful suggestions. This was a very hard chapter for me to write. Not enough lemons could fall from a lemon tree to make this easy. I dedicate this chapter to all those who have lost special people in their lives. May they be remembered and loved for always. Love VikingGirl**

Auggie threw caution to the wind as she sped through the streets. "Fuck the speed limit," she mumbled as she kept the pedal to the metal. Who knew a small compact car could move so fast. I was shaking the whole time and it wasn't Auggie's driving that was causing it. I was worried about Daddy Joe.

She pulled up the dirt road and my heart pounded faster when the old farm house came into view. An old black Gran Torino was already parked out front. The car was a beauty if I had time to admire it but I didn't care about that at the moment. Then I saw a familiar face climb out of the car. The shaggy dirty blond hair and that cocky smile but something wiped that smile away when he looked at me.

"What's wrong, cher?" Remy the hunter asked me.

"It's a trap," I said as I held the gun in my shaky hand.

"It doesn't feel like a trap to me, cher," Remy said as he puts his hands on my shoulders. Hunters were a rare group of humans. They had longer than average lives, stronger reflexes and strength but they also had a little extra something that most of mankind doesn't have, except maybe for a little autistic girl I know real well. Hunters are an elite group that can only be born and not just trained. Remy and Daddy Joe were those types of humans and little did I know, Daryl the cook at the Crawl Daddy Shack was also in this elite group too.

"I'll check out the area," Auggie said as light sparked from her fingertips.

"Cher and I will check the house and see if the old man is alright," Remy said as he removed his strong hands off of me. Remy was a handsome man in a sort of rugged way. He was no Mag that's for sure, but then again, there is no man on the face of the earth like Mag. Mag had a childlike quality that Remy lacked from living a hard life. Just like myself, Remy had the lines and scares to prove that he hasn't had an easy life either.

"I need you to keep a cool head, little red. You stay with me and we'll be alright, okay?" Remy said as he looked down at me with that steely blue gaze of his. "If there's a Were in that house, I'll know."

I just nodded and wiped some stray tears away. Auggie disappeared and reappeared around us with her magic at the ready. One minute she was in front of us, then she was in a tree and then on the roof of Remy's car sitting Indian style.

"It seems pretty clear around here but I'll keep checking," Auggie said and vanished into thin air again.

Remy and I went up to the front porch. Daddy Joe's hound Abraham barked from his doghouse in his pen. I sighed. T-Bone would have definitely slaughtered the dog for alerting Daddy Joe. Remy sniffed the air like a tracker.

"I don't smell wolf, cher. The wolf I do sense is your son and it's an old scent," Remy whispered. "In fact, I don't really smell anything foul."

"Some nose you have there. My what big eyes you have," I joked trying to calm my nerves a bit, it didn't work. Remy just gave me that cocky smile.

"'Da better to see you with," Remy joked back. I had a strong feeling Remy was only joking for the same reason I was, he was worried too. "We better get on in there, little red," he then said in a more serious tone as he grabbed my hand.

Remy knew his way around Daddy Joe's old farm house real well, almost too well. We went to the kitchen, the living room, the upstairs bedrooms and even the bathroom. No sign of a struggle or thieves, everything was as it ought to be. Lastly, we decided to finally check the downstairs bedroom, the same bedroom that Daddy Joe has slept in for years.

Remy slowly and carefully opened the door, looking around for any signs of werewolves or thieves. He motioned for me to put my gun away when he felt it was safe. I slid it back into the holster.

Through the old lace curtains, the sunlight came streaming in. Daddy Joe never redecorated his house after Marie passed on. The antique furniture still filled the room. Furniture that Daddy Joe bought brand new from a furniture store long since closed. Daddy Joe's frail form lies peacefully under the old quilt that Marie had lovingly made so many decades ago. His old straw cowboy hat sat on the nightstand where he had deposited it the night before. The gnarly old cane leaned near the bed so that he could get himself up every morning. Everything appeared as it should except Daddy Joe wasn't snoring.

Remy quietly walks up to the bed with a frown. He leans down and gently moves Daddy Joe. Remy didn't have to say a word, I knew. Jesus Christ I knew! Tears fell down my cheeks and I collapsed to the floor. The next thing I know, I felt a strong arm snaking around my shoulders and pulling me in. I looked over and there was Remy with tears filling his eyes. We sat there for a moment with the silence of our sorrow and loss.

"Cher, he lived a long life," Remy finally said. "Hunters usually don't live as long as he has."

"I know, but it's just that…"

"He was your rock, Belinda. I know," Remy sobbed.

"Why Remy, why now?"

"God Lord decided it was his time. Jesus, I'm going miss that old bastard," Remy cried. I don't understand why someone as strong and cocky as Remy would break all the sudden. Surely the hunter had his fill of seeing and touching dead bodies, why was he taking this so hard?

Auggie must've heard our cries because she all the sudden appeared out of thin air. She looked over at Daddy Joe lying peacefully on his bed. Auggie took two old gold coins out of her pocket and puts them over his eyes. "For the ferry man," she whispered and kissed his cheek. Auggie looked solemnly at Remy and I. She comes over and helps me off the ground and into her embrace.

"Oh Belinda, I never know what to say," Auggie whispered and I cried.

Remy stood up and went back over to Daddy Joe's bedside. He held the dead man's hand and cried. "Daddy Joe never told you, did he?" Remy said as he wept.

"Told me what?" was all I could say.

"Hunters can only sire other hunters. Most just have one night stands with whatever woman will have them. The lady hunters try to find strong stock to plant the seed. Sometimes the kid figures it out, sometimes they don't. Hunters aren't supposed to fall in love. They aren't cut to be family men and women. Back in the early sixties Daddy Joe found such a woman to help him plant his seed. He loved Marie but they both knew that the seed needed to be planted if hunters were to survive. Marie could never have kids of her own. Most women who aren't hunters themselves can't handle giving birth to a strong baby, they almost never make it. That was the case with my mother. There was no other family," Remy wept and my jaw dropped.

"When I called him Daddy Joe, I meant it," Remy confessed.

"He's your….," I said and Remy nodded. "Daddy Joe never told me he had any kids."

"Just one and you're looking at him. Daddy Joe and the others saved me before the good old State of Louisiana could put me in an orphanage or foster care. Marie helped raise me as if I was her own. She was more like a grandmother to me though," Remy said as he held onto his father's hand. Remy cried and I went over to hold him. I never realized how uncanny the resemblance was. Here I thought Remy was some hot headed hunter Daddy Joe called to help with my werewolf problem. I wasn't expecting this.

As soon as the tears subsided, Remy and I sat at the kitchen table while Auggie brewed a pot of coffee. A knock came from the door. Auggie stopped me from going to answer it but instead she pulled up the hood on her sweatshirt and went to answer it herself.

"Jesus Christ, I can't believe he's gone," I heard the voice of Wanda. "You're a good friend to be here with Belinda. She was very close to Daddy Joe."

"I shut down the shack early so we can be here," I heard Daryl's deep voice.

"She's in the kitchen," I then heard Auggie say.

I wasn't sure if Remy was up for visitors, I sure the hell wasn't. I took Remy's hand and held it in my own. I gave it an assuring squeeze. Remy just gave me a sad look. Now that I got a closer look at Remy, I noticed a lot of Daddy Joe's features, only on a much younger face. Aside from the scar under his right eye, everything else about him was Daddy Joe. Remy also smelled of the outdoors much like Daddy Joe used to.

"Oh baby, we had to come as soon as we closed the place," Wanda said, attacking me with a hug.

"I'm sorry brother," Daryl tells Remy. Son of a bitch! Daryl knew this whole time.

"Who's he, Daryl?" Wanda asked as she eyed Remy.

"Daddy Joe's grandson, Remy," Daryl lied. Remy looked way too young to be the old man's son, so Daryl put his own embellishment on the situation. Score one for Daryl! That and Daryl didn't want his older sister to know what he did on own his free time. Wanda and Daryl's mother passed away shortly after giving birth to Daryl. Daryl's father married Wanda's mother after Wanda's no good father ran off. Daryl's father supposedly worked nights at the local mill but little did the siblings know that their father was a supernatural bounty hunter.

"Well aren't you a sight. I didn't know Daddy Joe had any kids?" Wanda said.

"Yep, I come from New Orleans. My father was a banker there. He was Daddy Joe's son," Remy went on with the lie. That was another thing about the hunters; everything was secret and had to be for their own safety and the safety of those around them.

"What was his name?" Wanda asked being her usual nosy self.

"Jesus Wanda! The boy just lost his granddaddy and all you want to do is ask questions about his family. Can't you see he's grieving," Daryl went in for the save. He gave us a wink when Wanda wasn't looking.

"I'm sorry. Let me know when the funeral is. I got to be going," Wanda finally said, giving me one more hug. I hated to tell her, but there probably won't be a funeral that she can attend. All three of us waited until Wanda was in her car and driving away.

"So what are we going to do about this, Remy?" Daryl asked the much older hunter.

"Take his body down on into the bayou. We must let the others know that we lost our elder. We got to find a way to erase this from your sister's mind as well as all the workers at the shack. I don't plan on taking care of this the old fashion way," Remy said trying to keep his head on straight. I really didn't want to know about 'the old fashion way.' It sounded like a death wish to me.

"But just dumping his body in the bayou… I think Daddy Joe deserves a little more respect than that," I sobbed. I knew for a fact that Daddy Joe's public records had been altered in some way or another. For all I know, Daddy Joe didn't even exist according to the State of Louisiana and the good 'ole U S of A.

"She's right Remy, we all loved your Daddy," Daryl said. I knew it! Daryl knew all about Remy being Daddy Joe's son.

"I can't just leave him here for the flies to swarm around. Burning the house down is out of the question. Too many valuable memories in this place," Remy said sounding exasperated. Tears still clung to his cheeks and his usually cool steely gaze didn't seem so steely anymore.

Auggie came back into the kitchen after spending some time out on the front porch talking to Wanda. "I got your sister taken care of. She slipped out of her waitress dress and into something appropriate for a funeral while she used the bathroom real quick. She thinks she is on her way home from a funeral. Not to worry, Larry will be thinking the same thing," Auggie said as she met Daryl's brown eyes.

"What the hell did you do to her and her husband?" Daryl asked. He knew Auggie wasn't human just as Remy knew.

"Just a little spell I picked up centuries ago. To think that vampires are the only ones that think they can glamour," Auggie said with an eye roll. "I don't even have to be in the same room with a human to do that," Auggie then added. Daryl eyed her with suspicion. Being a young hunter, Daryl only had limited exposure to the supernatural. I'm pretty sure he hasn't run into anything like Auggie before. "Don't worry, they'll be alright. She'll even go through a grieving period and everything that a human usually does when someone they love dies," Auggie then said.

"I trust Auggie," I blurted out. I had to defend my friend. She wouldn't intentionally hurt Wanda. Auggie hand trusted me with her secrets so it was only right that I trust her in return.

"What are you?" Daryl asked the small woman. Auggie removed her hood to reveal her ears sticking out through her baby fine white hair.

"I was too busy paying attention to Belinda to notice that day," Remy mumbled. "That there is fae."

"You mean to tell me that Tinkerbell is real?" Daryl said with wide eyes. Then Auggie showed them that winning smile of her, a mouthful of razor sharp pointed teeth. If they really think she's something, they should meet her half-sister and nephew. "Cheese and rice," Daryl then muttered.

"I'm a half breed. Half elf and half fairy if you want to be more specific," Auggie then said without missing a beat.

"Fuck me," Remy mumbled.

"I have an idea of what to do about the body. Luckily the old man just died of old age but he was a warrior. Might I suggest a Viking funeral?" Auggie said. "I know of a Viking who can help," Auggie then said. Yeah, a seven and half foot Viking demigod no less.

"You mean shoot flaming arrows at a boat sort of thing?" Daryl said, still puzzled by the mystery that is Augustine Spark.

"That's one way to do it. The gators might not like it much," Auggie said in a matter of fact way. "But it will be one heck of a way to honor a great warrior and give Daddy Joe's earthly shell the respect it deserves."

"A Viking funeral in the bayou? We now I've heard it all. I say let's do it. I'll get Daddy Joe's favorite weapons," Remy said, still morning the loss of his father but at the same time ready to move on.

"Belinda and I will go talk to the Viking that can help. We will even go round up the boat," Auggie said.

"This sounds crazy but count me in," Daryl said. "I'll make a run to the florist."

"Wait a sec, isn't your Viking a vampire?" Remy asked as he looked at me. "It's still daylight out there."

"Yes, I do work for a Viking but this is Auggie's nephew we're going to talk to. He's a Viking too," was all I managed to say before Auggie literally pushed me out the door. Guess Daryl and Remy will have to meet Mag to figure out that he's more than just a mere Viking.


	37. Chapter 37

**Super Guest Star Alert! Someone is making an appearance at Karma's Backbone this chapter and I bet you can't guess who it is? My beta had to ask me but I have faith that you all will know. I was super amazed at all my readers who picked out Thor! I think this character ranks up there with Thor and I hope you all can figure it out! Oh yeah, I want to thank my super awesome beta, treewitch703 and all my lovely readers out there in internet land! Love you all!**

The drive back to Karma's Backbone was a quiet one. Auggie reached over and grabbed my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "You need to be strong for them, B. I know your kids love that man almost as much as they love you," Auggie said as she pulled into the parking space. She turned and looked at me with compassionate eyes. "You are going to go in there and tell your kids one of the most devastating things you will ever have to tell them. I can't have you breaking down. We are all here to help you, B. That is what Essie and I do best; we help those in need."

I wiped the tears from my eyes. I may not have known Auggie all that long but I like to think of her as my friend. Funny how all the supernatural creatures I have met recently treated me better than even my own flesh and blood family had. My mother never cared if I was there or not. She crawled into a bottle of whiskey after my father left her. I was pretty much left to my own devices, which is never good. She would clean herself up long enough to get children's services off her back and then sure as the night is dark, she would be back dating Jack Daniels or Jim Beam. I just tried to survive long enough to get away. That's how I got involved with werewolves.

Howl was charming at first. He offered me a job working for him. Of course he promised the moon and stars like he did to all his new employees. I was sixteen years old and had just dropped out of high school when I first met Howl. Howl didn't give a hill of beans about the legal age for serving and consuming alcohol, all he cared about was if they were young and stupid. I was the perfect candidate at the time and I sure needed the money since I was living in my beat up old car. The lifestyle was even tempting too; you know, a ride on the wild side every night of the week. It's strange how my perception of the supernatural has changed since having Andy and meeting Daddy Joe and Eric. I always thought they were all savage and brutal. I was so wrong.

Auggie put her arm around my shoulders and held me close as I cried. I wasn't just crying because of my loss, I was crying because I didn't deserve all this kindness. Auggie stroked my hair the same way I would comfort one of my kids. "Belinda, you deserve all the good things that have come your way recently. You are the first human I can truly call a friend. I haven't been able to say that for centuries. It's nice to have a friend," Auggie whispered. She just let me get my tears out of the way before we got out of the car. She even helped me to clean up so I didn't look so bad. Auggie took my hand and walked right into the store.

Carrie rolled her eyes at Auggie and discretely nodded in the direction of a small mob of women eying the prize that is Magni Frost. Some fiddled with their hair while others hiked up their boobs but the center of the group was a six foot tall man with long curly black hair. He looked like he belonged on the cover of one of those romance novels despite the fact that he was wearing jeans and a white dress shirt under a form fitting leather motorcycle jacket. He also had an otherness to him. He admired Mag's backside as the demigod was bent over the C.D. rack loading a bunch of Sinatra C.D's. Little did this strange man know or care that the goblin king was also licking his lips. If I wasn't grieving so much, I would have enjoyed the humor in this situation.

Magni looked over his shoulder and down at the women and the man or whatever and smiled. He finished loading the C.D.s in the S section of the rack. He looked down at all his admirers. He kindly told the flock to leave and everyone except for Mr. Romance Cover Boy went on their way. He then turned to the strange man and politely told him that he was flattered but he didn't swing that way. The man huffed, turned on his heel and stomped off. I doubt that Mag has a nasty bone in his body.

"As soon as he comes out of the storeroom, that happens," Carrie said as she rolled her eyes again. "Jareth isn't much help. He keeps staring at that fairy and fantasizing. The other guy's been following Mag around since he entered the store. Stingy jerk didn't even tip me for his frozen mocha cappuccino."

"Jareth is supposed to be in charge since Essie is busy. He's lucky Essie hasn't seen all this or she would've iced him by now," Auggie said as she watched the disappointed face Jareth made when the fairy guy left the store. "Mag can't help that he has that effect on people. Jareth knows this. I better have a talk with him before Essie does but it'll have to wait for now. There are more pressing matters at hand."

"You've been crying," Carrie said as she looked at me with somber eyes. "I can smell your tears."

This only made me want to cry more. I promised Auggie that I would keep a cool head long enough to tell the kids. God, I didn't want to tell them but I had to. Not only was I worried about how Izzy would take it, but Andy had been very close to Daddy Joe. Daddy Joe taught him everything he knows about werewolves. He couldn't teach him how to be a werewolf but he gave Andy enough knowledge to understand who he is. Daddy Joe also taught him how to shoot a gun and gave him a positive male role model. That was something that I always felt was important.

"Essie will tell you guys later in the employee meeting, after I tell her. First I need Mag and then I need to have a little word with Jareth," Auggie tells Carrie.

Carrie reaches over her counter and takes my hand. "Whatever is happening right now, you know that you have friends here! Esmeralda and Augustine saved me from a bad situation. They gave me a job and a place to live when I never thought I would ever have those things. They have also given me so much more," Carrie said with wry smile. "I would so give you a hug right now but I've got a reputation to maintain. Every workplace needs a bored sarcastic shifter," Carrie snickered as she went about her business and took an elderly woman's coffee order.

Mag was still fending off the last of his admirers when he glanced my way. He was wearing one of his patented smiles but it had slowly dimmed. People attracted to men lusted after Mag, he couldn't help it but for me the lust had gone. I puzzled over this as I watched him move around the store; Mag was deliciously handsome but I realized I didn't see him in that light anymore. He came up to me and touched my cheek but I still couldn't tap into the feelings I'd had for him. Something had definitely changed between me and the demigod.

"My friend, you have lost someone dear," Mag said looking down at me with sad eyes. "I can't help but feel your pain."

The tears that I had been holding back, burst free. Mag engulfed me in his massive arms I'm pretty sure his admirers were giving me the evil eye but I didn't care. I realized then why I didn't lust over the giant anymore. Magni Frost had entered the friend zone and I can't lust over my friends. "Let me take you someplace more private," Mag then said as he kept his steps small enough for both Auggie and me to keep up. Mag kept his arm around me, shielding me from the eyes of the customers. He smelled oddly of the sky and the ocean but it was a soothing scent. He reached into his apron pocket and pulled out a tissue and passed it to me. I dabbed at my eyes with it. He sat me down on the ornately carved bench outside Esmeralda's office. Auggie sat so I was bracketed by supes. Mag and Auggie each had an arm around the damply sobbing human that was me. Auggie laid her head on my shoulder while Mag affectionately kissed my forehead. Auggie took my hand and gave it a squeeze while Mag drifted, lost in his thoughts. He rested his strong chin on my head while Auggie looked up at me with sad eyes.

"I can strengthen you with my powers but it will cost me if the other gods find out," Mag said. "Odin has forbidden us to interfere with the affairs of men. He did so after the reign of the Vikings. The missionaries did us a favor back then. They gave us a way out of humanity," Mag said as he still kept his cheek resting on the top of my head. "Odin does not forbid us from coming into this realm but he has forbidden us to use our magic to benefit man. That is what drove us back to Asgard in the first place. Humans are greedy little creatures who used us to shape their world."

"Mag, you don't mean to…," Auggie said as I felt Mag nod.

"Only enough to tell her children of their loss. My friend is having troubles finding her strength, I can give her some of mine. Just a small amount," Mag said as he removed his cheek from its resting place. He lifted my chin to meet his gaze. "You must promise me that you will never speak of this. Not ever," Mag said to me in a serious tone. The normally jolly giant didn't seem so jolly at the moment. Those strange blue rings glowed around his irises. He wasn't trying to glamour me, I wasn't even sure if he could and then I felt the hairs of my arms raise. Mag looked menacing for a moment and then sad. "Odin will take me away from this realm forever if he finds out. Mother would be devastated. As my friend you must promise never to breathe a word of this," Mag then said.

"I-I-I p-p-promise," I sobbed out and Mag kissed my forehead again. Auggie let go of my hand and just as she did, Mag grabbed it.

"I need you to hold my hand," Mag said softly. I looked up at that handsome face through the tears that blurred the lenses of my glasses. "I will be gentle," Mag then said, giving me a tentative version of his wondrous smile.

I held out my hand and Mag did the same. My whole hand was only slightly bigger than his palm as our hands touched. His fingers intertwined with mine just before I felt static electricity shoot up my arm. There were no flashing lights or lightning bolts, just a rolling sensation that seemed to wipe away my sorrows. One minute I felt like the world was against me and the next I felt like I could pick up a car. If this was only a small amount of Mag's godly powers, I wonder what it was like to get the whole shebang.

"Do you feel better now?" Mag asked as he brushed some stay curls away from my face. My vision seemed blurred at the moment and so I pulled the glasses off my nose. I could see with crystal clarity. For the first time in my life, my eyesight was perfect.

"It's only temporary," Mag reminded me. "Although I must say Belinda, you are an attractive woman without your glasses," Mag added and I blushed. I may not lust over Mag anymore but that didn't mean his compliments were meaningless.

Auggie found a pair of dummy glasses with a similar frame that I dreaded putting on but I had to if I didn't want Mag getting in trouble. Not just with the gods but I'm pretty sure his mother wouldn't be too happy with what he's done.

I stood up slightly and kissed his cheek. "Thank you," I whispered in his ear. Mag's face lifted with that gentle smile again.

"Your children have given my mother happiness so I gave you a small piece of my strength and my friendship. You are one of the most interesting mortals I have met in a long time. I understand now why Aunt Astir likes you so much," Mag said as he took my hand again but this time there was no magic involved, just a gentle squeeze.

"I need to speak with Mag," Auggie said.

"Last time I saw mother and the children, they were in the garden. It's just off the kitchen," Mag said as he held open the door that led to Esmeralda's apartment. "Be strong, my friend," Mag then said as he put a hand on my shoulder.

"We'll be in shortly. We've got to get the keys to Jareth's mini bus and call about a boat of some sorts," Auggie said as she looked up at Mag.

"I am thinking of something more appropriate to the region. Maybe a pirogue?" Mag said to Auggie and she nodded in agreement. "I understand he was a Cajun and loved the swamp. I think that would be appropriate," Mag then said. I was amazed at Mag's knowledge of the modern world or at least to him modern. I assumed he learned everything from his aunt and the other supes working at Karma's Backbone.

I reached up and patted his cheek. "I trust you'll make it right, my friend," I said and Mag lit that thousand watt smile of his.

"I will," he said as he bent down and kissed my cheek. "You must hurry before it wears off. My magic doesn't last long," he then whispered in my ear. I nodded as I entered Esmeralda oversized apartment.

The apartment was still a little overwhelming. Old Scandinavian furniture made for a woman twice the size of an average female. The converted warehouse was really the best place for someone like Esmeralda to live. I walked through the living room in the direction of where I thought the kitchen might be. It looked like any typical kitchen except that everything was made to fit a nine and half foot giantess. Custom made stainless steel appliances accented the white cabinets and checker-board floor. The kitchen was airy and full of light. It also looked like it should be on the cover of Better Homes and Garden magazine. Red checked curtains and blue counter tops enlivened the room even more. I noticed a couple of French doors on the other side of the white washed dinette set. Herbs hung from pegs on the wall and a stuffed witch hung from the ceiling. I found the stuffed witch to be the only odd thing in the whole kitchen. I was so busy inspecting the strange little object that I didn't notice the doors open.

"It means good luck," I heard Esmeralda's raspy voice say. "Scandinavian women hang a witch in their kitchens for good luck. It's a modern thing for me but supposedly they have been doing this for years now. I try to keep traditions of my people alive, no matter how silly. What was the emergency?"

I didn't want to beat around the bush but I needed to tell my kids first. "Where are Andy and Izzy?" I asked, fending off Esmeralda's question.

"We're here Mom," Andy said with a smile as Izzy followed him. "Esmeralda has been showing me how to swing a sword. Did you know she used to help the Vikings? She is so cool!" Andy said all excited about making friends with the frost giant/fairy. I didn't want to tell him. He looked so happy at that moment. My vision started to blur a bit. Whatever Mag did to me, it wasn't going to last.

"Your boy is a natural," Esmeralda said proudly. "He is like my Magni."

"He's a fast learner," I said and ruffled up Andy's hair.

"Is Daddy Joe okay?" Izzy asks. Despite Mag's magic, I could feel the tears just below the surface. Leave it to my girl to get to the point.

"No sweetie, he's not," I managed to say. Andy and Esmeralda's smiles faded while Izzy was her usual blank self. "Daddy Joe died peacefully in his sleep last night," I then said. Tears started to form in Andy's hazel eyes. He started to whimper like a dog as that strange glow formed around the rims of his irises. Whimpers and human cries tumbled out from him. I grabbed both him and Izzy into my embrace. Izzy didn't cry but she was well aware. She stood there stiffly in my embrace. Andy kept howling, one right after the other. My vision became a big blur as I started to break down, holding my kids.

Two large, strong, feminine arms encircled us. The crisp smell of cool air settled over us but Esmeralda's touch felt warm and normal instead of cold. I felt her chin on top of my head as she held us close. I turned to see that she was on her knees. "I am so sorry, Belinda. I'm sure your friend was a great warrior," Esmeralda said in a soothing voice as she held us in her tremendous embrace.


	38. Chapter 38

**I totally want to thank my super awesome fabulous beta, treewitch703. She has been an enormous help with this chapter which has been far harder to write than lemons. Quotes aren't really my thing and she has been a great help with that. I also want to thank my readers out there for their patience. I'm a busy girl and it makes it difficult to sit down and write at times and then there's those bouts of writer's block. Anyway, I appreciate the reviews and feedback I've been getting. I know this is not the typical Eric and Sookie story and to be honest that is not what I strive for although somewhere along the story a pretty blond telepath will show her face along with a certain Civil War vet. Keep in mind this is set before the vampires come out and Eric is getting the groundwork laid for Fangtasia. Thanks again for the love! -VikingGirl- **

Esmeralda made some herbal tea and shooed me and the kids to her living room. She sat down next to me and took my hand. "If you need anything, please tell me," Esmeralda said warmly. I'm sure Esmeralda has lost a lot of people close to her in her very long lifetime.

Andy and Izzy sat on the other side of me. Andy kept his arm around his sister while Izzy hid her face in Andy's chest. Izzy wasn't crying so much as trying to disappear; Izzy retreated into her shell whenever something bad happened. Plus Andy was like a warm familiar blanket to her. Andy's howls and whimpers wound down to very human cries. Not only did Andy love that old man but he had no real experience with grieving, so of course he was going to take it the hardest.

Auggie and Mag entered. Auggie was carrying a small garment bag while Mag carried two other larger bags. He'd managed to find the time to put on a black suit with a light blue dress shirt that brought out the blue in his eyes. Black leather shoes polished to a high gloss shine completed his sombre Sunday outfit. Auggie was dressed in something that seemed to make her look older than her usual teenage persona. A plain black sheath that demonstrated Auggie's tiny frame truly had feminine curves, relieved by a simple red jacket and sling back heels. Her hair was just its usual dandelion puff white, without its usual colored streaks, held in place by a simple black headband. They both looked dressed for a funeral.

"I brought something for you and the kids to change into but don't put your good shoes on until we get to the bayou," Auggie said. I wanted to question why she and Mag were both dressed to the nines but I didn't. I assume their supernatural skill will keep their perfectly polished shoes clean. I know, I'm being dense and picky or maybe just being a grieving, insignificant, scatterbrained human, right?

"You can dress on the way there. It'll be sunset pretty soon, I left a message on Northman's voice mail," Auggie said to me with a sad smile.

"Let me drive so you can help your friend Aunt Astir," Mag said as he held up a keychain that screamed Jareth. I don't know what would tell me that. Was it the fuzzy, red, miniature dice and the silver VW logo or the picture of David Bowie dressed as the goblin king? Guess we're taking Jareth's ride.

"Be gentle with her Magni. She's old," Jareth said as we left Esmeralda's apartment. The store was empty and all the employees of Karma's Backbone sat on the bench outside Esmeralda's office. Carrie was whispering something to Samantha who gave me a sad look. The twin witches Tabitha and Samantha really were polar opposites in their coloring. Samantha had naturally dark brown hair and eyes unlike her twin sister who was a natural blond with blue eyes but oddly enough, both sisters had the same bone structure and looked alike. Ruby was leaning against the wall listening to her iPod but gave me the same sad look Samantha had given me. I could tell that the witches wanted to surround me in a group hug but held back since they didn't know how I would react.

Harvey came out of Esmeralda's office and propped the tall, thick wooden door open. He gave me a somber smile as he approached Andy. Had Andy befriended the made Were? I wasn't sure.

Harvey knelt down in front of Andy, crouching lower than my son. I realized that Harvey was acknowledging Andy's alpha status. Years of working in a werewolf bar had given me a working knowledge of the lupine world. Andy gave me an unsure look as he wasn't used to being deferred to or thought of as superior. I gave Andy the only guidance I could.

"Offer him your hand, sweetie . You're his alpha. I don't know if you've been introduced to Harvey but he's a bitten Were," I whispered into Andy's ear. I know Harvey and the other supes had to have heard me but they would've never let on.

Andy held out his hand to the older Were. Harvey sniffed his hand before licking it like a dog. Andy gave me another unsure look.

"Tell him he can get up," I whispered. "Treat him kindly and tell him he doesn't have to do that every time he sees you." Andy nodded and did just exactly what I suggested. Mag gave me a small but understanding smile. He understood too well about unwanted worship, whether it be from a Viking vampire or the throngs of women and gay men that were very attracted to the demigod. Andy has a long road ahead of him; maybe Mag can give him some advice on how to handle being a king.

Harvey stood up and gave Andy a slight bow. Andy acknowledged Harvey with a nod as the made Were went back on into the office. "That was weird," Andy mumbled. Yes, my son is going to have a very long road ahead of him.

"You did well young freki. Perhaps I can help you?" Mag offered as he patted Andy on the shoulder. Andy looked up at the well-dressed giant with the gentle smile. "Believe it or not but it happens to me all the time," Mag then said and despite Andy's sadness, he managed to return Mag's smile.

If anyone told me that I would be going to a friend's funeral in a goblin green, nineteen sixty-two, VW mini bus that was also being driven by a giant, I would've asked about the punch line. Here I was doing just that. Andy managed to wiggle into his suit while Auggie worked her magic on me. Andy dressed Izzy in her simple, brown corduroy jumper with a cream colored turtleneck. He even helped her slip on the cream colored tights to match. Instead of putting her Mary Jane's on, Andy helped her poke her feet into her sneakers.

Auggie zipped up the back of my black dress and worked on my hair while I sat at the tiny kitchenette. Jareth had himself a little apartment on wheels. Out loud I wondered how Esmeralda managed to fit into this space. Auggie told me that Jareth had rigged the seats so that they were removable but even then it was a tight squeeze for the halfling frost giant.

"We broke down and purchased a delivery truck. The back is getting customized by a werewolf who lives out by Bon Temps. It'll make it easier for all of us. Jareth can be a prick when it comes to The Green Goblin as he likes to call her. It would be a compliment to call it a jalopy" Auggie said, trying to make small talk as I dealt with my own sorrow.

"Tell me about it, Aunt Astir. This thing is a piece of crap," Mag agreed while keeping his eyes on the road.

"We got the boat delivered earlier, while you were with Esmeralda. Daryl is preparing it for a hero's send off. It'll be worthy of him," Auggie said as she patted my shoulder.

We pulled into the reserve and Mag drove the mini bus as far as he could into the dense foliage. It was dark out and someone had the blessed forethought to line the trail with tiki torches. Must have been Daryl, I thought to myself. He worked hard setting this up. Mag parked near Remy's and Daryl's cars and next to Alcide's truck. I didn't realize Andy's father would be there. Mag held my hand while Izzy took Auggie's. Andy didn't need supernatural guidance but I kept my arm around his shoulders anyway as we filed through the dense woods. It was a good thing Auggie didn't want us wearing our good shoes, a bayou was no place for patent leather, although Mag and Auggie did manage to keep their shoes immaculate.

Mag helped me sit down on a log alongside Izzy and Andy. Auggie handed me my flats and then helped Izzy with her Mary Jane's. "I thought flats would be better than heels," Auggie said, justifying her practical selection.

Mag pulled Andy aside after he had his shoes on. The conversation looked to be a serious one. Mag patted Andy on the shoulder giving him his gentle signature smile of his. Whatever it was, it didn't appear to ease my son's tears any.

Mag offered his hand to me once again. I had to tip my head back pretty far to see his face. Daryl and Remy must have got the shock of their lives when they first laid eyes on Magni Frost. I'm sure Auggie had a hell of a time explaining her nephew to the two men. Mag smiled at me as though he could read the thoughts flickering across my face. I took his hand without a word.

Daryl went above and beyond with the preparations. Tiki torches lit the clearing fronting the bayou. We were probably screaming gator bait but I think any gator would regret tangling with this crowd. Daryl had laid Daddy Joe on a bed of roses. The roses were so red that they looked black in the dark. In his hands he held a rosary and three yellow roses along with his fob of werewolf and vampire teeth. His silver St. Christopher metal gleamed under the torchlight as well as silver weapons. Swords, daggers and a few silver tipped arrows all arranged tidily around Daddy Joe's well dressed and neatly groomed body. The only thing missing was the tooth of the Blood Countess that had been ever present on a chain around his neck. Daddy Joe looked as peaceful as he had this morning. I began to cry all over again.

Strong arms held me close as a pale hand offered me a handkerchief with an embroidered E on it. I manage to look up and through the fog of my glasses to see the owner of the fine silk handkerchief. Those sapphire eyes looked sympathetically down at me. He never said a word but just let me cry. My boss, Eric Northman.

Eric was dressed in a black designer suit with a simple white shirt and black tie. His golden hair pulled back in a loose ponytail. As always Izzy gravitated towards the vampire. She looked up at Eric with tears in her eyes. Eric pulled out another handkerchief and crouched down to dab the tears away. Eric scooped her up into his long strong arms.

"Sorry is not an appropriate word for this occasion. A great warrior has fallen and I give you my condolences for that but never an apology," Eric said to me. "I never could understand why breathers would apologize for events beyond their control."

From the mouths of walking corpses, I thought to myself but the vampire had a point. There really is nothing to be sorry about. Daddy Joe passed on in the peaceful way he deserved. He lived his life in the best way he could, protecting the innocent from the feral creatures of the night. That in my book is a wonderful thing.

Alcide engulfed me in his embrace. The smell of the wild clung to him and filled my nose. For the first time since meeting back up with him, I didn't think about that wild night between the sheets instead I thought of Alcide as a friend. "I know I didn't know him very well but I'm sorry Belinda," Alcide muttered. "If you ever need anything, you have my number." God bless the werewolf.

I was so wrapped in my own sorrow that I nearly forgot about another soul that missed Daddy Joe more than I or Andy ever could. It was Daddy Joe's flesh and blood son, Remy. Remy looked out at the bayou like it was his home. Tears filled those beautiful eyes of his as he stood alone. I went over to offer my condolences to the hunter.

"I couldn't believe my eyes this afternoon, P'tit Rouge. You sure hang out with an interesting crowd. The werewolf and the vampire I can understand but that giant over there. I'd never seen a big man that looked like him before and I've seen it all. He carried that boat all by himself like it was a stick or somethin'," Remy said, trying to make small talk. "What is he?"

"My friend," I answered simply. There was no way I was going to tell Remy that he is in the presence of a living and breathing demigod.

"Good thing he's a friend because I wouldn't want to be his enemy. He sure did a fine job of helping Daryl out this afternoon. Seems like a nice fellow too," Remy said. I could tell that Remy was trying his best to talk his tears back. I wasn't a hundred percent sure of the kind of relationship Remy had with his dad but judging from the tears, it was a good one.

"The North Man doesn't seem like a bad guy for a deader and neither does Mr. Furry over there," Remy said as he nodded his head in Alcide's direction. "Seems you got yourself in with a good group of supes there."

"Thanks," I answered, Remy looked at me, his eyes brimming over again. I didn't know what else to say so I hugged him. That familiar scent of woods and swamp filled my nose; it brought me to tears as I embraced the hunter's son.

"Belinda and Remy, it's time," Daryl said in a somber tone. I watched as Mag handed my son a bow and an arrow with a cloth wrapped head. Auggie held a small torch while Mag got everybody's attention.

Daryl held an old bible in his hand with ribbons for bookmarks and started singing Shall We Gather at the River .

…... Ere we reach the shining river,

…... lay we every burden down;

…...…...grace our spirits will deliver...

Daryl opened up his bible as everyone gathered in a semi circle around Daryl, Remy and I. Eric put his hand on my shoulder as he still cradled Izzy who was curled up into his chest with tears in her eyes. Alcide stood behind Andy focusing his attention on his son who stood near the boat with Auggie. Our little group was flanked by Mag on one side and Eric on the other quietly chanting Old Norse in unison. The ancient echo was little spooky, they knew the words so well... Daryl read 1 Corinthians 13 from the old bible as I clutched Remy's hand. He squeezed it in return.

... the tongues of men and of angels, but have not charity, I am become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal...

There was really no need for a eulogy. Everyone here knew how much Daddy Joe meant to us.

... though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not charity, ...

Auggie pushed the boat out into the swamp. Andy made sure there was some distance between the land and the boat when Auggie lit the tip of his arrow. Alcide joined in with Daryl as he watched Andy shoot the arrow with the precision of a seasoned marksman despite tear blurred eyes. The arrow hit the boat and flames began to engulf the vessel. The smell of the roses must've hid the scent of gasoline as the flames began to spread.

...; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

...For now we see through a glass, darkly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; …...; but the greatest of these is charity

The flames licked at the boat.

By the time the pirogue had moved out into the bayou it was completely wrapped in fire. Daryl and Alcide started in on a chorus of Blessed Be the Tie That Binds …...

….When for a while we part

…...This thought will soothe our pain

…...That we shall still be joined in heart

…...And hope to meet again.

All while the two Vikings continued their soft chant. Andy threw down the bow and came to my side as I held him close; he pulled away moving towards his father to howl. Alcide stopped his singing and joined in with Andy's howls while they both faced the rising moon. The Viking/Christian funeral was one of the most beautiful affairs I have ever witnessed. It was well worthy of a warrior fallen.


	39. Chapter 39

**Thanks to all my readers out there and my wonderful beta, treewitch703. She has made my Cajun richer. Thanks! You all rock!**

Remy pulled me aside while Mag and Auggie helped Daryl clean up. Andy took Izzy to the mini-bus under Alcide's watchful eye. Eric flew off muttering something about checking up on the glamour squad. Remy looked amused when he heard what Eric had said.

"That's some boss you got there 'Lindy," Remy said as he walked me towards the edge of the clearing furthest away from the bustle. "Nice of him to make sure the others remember going to an actual funeral in an actual church. Let's just hope they don't stop for a little midnight snack while they're at it."

"Eric wouldn't allow it; although I don't trust Clancy as far as I can throw him. That vamp needs to be defanged," I said and despite all the sadness surrounding the night, Remy laughed.

"You just a little firecracker darlin'. I take it you don't like this Clancy much?"

"No and the feeling's mutual. I got to get along with him well enough to work with him," I said crossing my arms.

"Northman must pay you pret' good to put up with a vamper you don't like. You a good mother to be sacrificing yourself to take care of those young 'uns," Remy said as he moved in closer.

"Pay's the best I've ever gotten," I answered, my arms dropping back to my sides. Despite the sadness and fatigue the showed on his face, Remy still managed to smile and what a lovely smile it was.

"I can't give you a nice house or a new car, but you need to know that the Craw Daddy Shack is under new ownership. If things don't ever work out with that vamper you always have a job with me. I know this may come too soon but I thought you should know," Remy said as he took my hands. I felt something small and sharp pressed into them. I looked down to see two silver necklaces with single vampire fang pendants. The fangs were longer than any I'd ever seen before, except for the one Daddy Joe always wore.

"Countess Bathory's fangs," I gasped out. "Daddy Joe told me that these are worth more than gold."

"Any vamper would give their right fang to have these. If you ever get hard up, all you need to do is call me and we'll find a way to sell 'em off. Daddy Joe wanted you to have these anyway. Said you would take good care of 'em," Remy said as I picked up one of the long pointy teeth. "He also said that you like family and deserve a family heirloom. For hunters, our most prized kills become our family heirlooms."

"I don't know what to say?" Boy that was the truth.

"Nothing to say 'Lindy. They're yours. We should be getting along. That little girl looks like she's ready to shake hands with the sandman," Remy said and chastely kissed my cheek. Despite all that had happened, I swear to God I blushed. It was a good thing it was dark out.

"Yeah, it is way past Izzy's bedtime and the kids've got school on Monday. Thanks for the teeth. I'll find a safe place for them," I said and I stood on my tip toes and returned Remy's kiss .

"You take care 'Lindy," Remy said.

"You too," I said in return as I put the fangs in my small purse.

Sure enough, Izzy had conked out by the time Mag, Auggie and I got back to the mini-bus. Alcide was having some father son time with Andy. I thanked my lucky stars that Andy still had a male around he can talk to. Overall Alcide is a good man, he just made one mistake and I was grateful for that mistake because it gave us our son. I watched quietly as Andy stood next to the mini-bus with Alcide as they talked. Andy may not have grown up the same way his daddy had but the two seemed to have bonded despite their differences. Alcide is the type of guy, even though he was a werewolf, that probably grew up in the All-American middle class family with baseball and apple pie. Andy on the other hand, with a former drug addict mother, autistic sister and instead of a father, a crazy old coot that showed him his way around a shooting range as soon as he could walk. Andy's life had taken him off the beaten path.

Alcide looked over in our direction and glared at Mag. Alcide is not a big fan of the demigod's but his features softened when I caught his eye.

"Thanks for keeping an eye on them for me," I said.

"No problem Belinda. Izzy was downright tuckered," Alcide tells me with a slight lift to the corner of his mouth. I gave the werewolf a tired smile.

"Thank you for coming Alcide. You didn't have to," I said as I gave him another hug.

"I had to be here for my boy. I know how much that old hunter meant to him," Alcide said as he returned my embrace, engulfing me his strong arms.

We all piled back into the mini bus. Mag took the wheel again while Auggie sat in the back. Izzy was strapped in riding shotgun next to Mag who had found a blanket to tuck around my little girl. Andy sat next to me at the bus's kitchenette while Auggie sat across from us. Auggie said something to Mag in Norse and Mag nodded as he pulled out of the reserve.

"Mag will take you home, B. I'll bring your car by in the morning. Essie's shop is closed tomorrow. If you want to, I can come get the kids so you can have a little private time?" Auggie said as she reached across the table and took my hand. I wasn't sure if private time is what I needed right now. Private time for me can lead to things I have no desire to dive back into. Private time in the past involved a needle or a razor blade and the razor blade wasn't used for cutting myself either, it was used for scoring coke.

"I'll think about it," was all I could say. Auggie nodded but she seemed to understand more than she let on.

Andy leaned against me and I put my arm around him. All the arrow shooting, crying and howling had my boy all tuckered out too. I stroked his thick dark hair and kissed his cheek. It was hard to kiss my guy on the forehead these days; he's almost as tall as I am. I don't know if it's the shifting or the steady meals but I swear he shot up an inch this week. It didn't matter to me because Andy will always be my first baby.

Mag and Auggie helped me with the kids once we got to the house. I hadn't been at home all day so I was surprised to see a fresh arrangement of flowers on my kitchen table. It was of roses so red they looked black with a black silk bow tied around a crystal vase. The arrangement screamed vampire so I checked the card.

Abby said you are supposed to send flowers whenever a loved one meets their final death. I wasn't sure of what kind of flowers would be best, so I got some that seemed appropriately mournful .

Pam

Auggie looked at the card after I was finished reading it. "How thoughtful of her," Auggie said with a grave smile.

"Looks like I'm going to have work with her on the flowers thing. It looks very...vampire. It's the thought that counts," I said as I managed a smile. Bless Pam, she's trying.

"Aunt Astir, are you ready to go?" Mag said to his diminutive aunt. What I wanted to ask Mag was on the tip of my tongue. Auggie must've read it my mind because she gave me a hug and headed for the door.

"I'll see you in the morning," Auggie said while Mag hesitated by the door.

"I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. You and Daryl did a beautiful job with everything," I said as I went up and put my arms around Mag's waist.

"I did what needed to be done, Belinda," Mag said as he bent down to my level.

"What was that chant about?"

"A prayer to my father and grandfather. I wanted them to know that a warrior is entering Valhalla. My father and I may not see eye to eye about many things but he is my father and I do still love him. I may not like how he treats my mother at times, but he is not all bad. Believe it or not but I did save his life when I was a child. One of these nights I'll have to tell your daughter about it," Mag said as he gave me a smile and kissed my forehead. "I hope to see you soon, sleep well, my friend," Mag said before closing the door behind himself. I stood at the window and watched as the vintage mini-bus pulled out of my drive.

"I can't believe that the son of Thor is your friend," a familiar voice said from behind me. I just about jumped out of my skin and turned around to see Eric standing there smirking at me. Damn.

"You trying to give me a heart attack or something," I hissed. I didn't want the kids waking up. They had a long hard day. "I thought we agreed you would use the front door from now on."

"I did. I came here to change clothes after checking up on my vampires. All of Daddy Joe's friends and employees think his funeral was at St. Joseph's," Eric said. I could see that he wasn't lying about changing his clothes or as many clothes as he was willing to change into. All he had on was a pair of jeans and nothing else. If I wasn't grieving, I would've been eye fucking him into the next parish, but sex was the furthest thing from my mind. I'm pretty sure the half-naked vampire standing before me could sense this.

"You shouldn't be alone," he said blankly. "A person like you shouldn't be left to her own devices."

"I don't need smothered either. I'll be good, I promise," I said sarcastically.

"You had a bad day, Belinda," Eric said in a more concerned tone.

"I'll be fine," I snapped back. "You don't need to babysit the pathetic human. I've survived worse than this."

"I don't doubt you have. It's just that…"

"Save it! I'll be fine," I said that last part in a gentler tone. "I'm not going to kick you out of your own house. I just want to be left alone tonight. If you want to visit with Izzy you are more than welcome to. I just need a little time to think is all."

"I will honor your wishes but if you ever start acting oddly, don't you dare think I won't intervene. You are the best employee I have. I will not risk you losing any more brain cells just so you can get high. You do that, I will show my version of high. Besides, this is not my house, it is yours," Eric spat out letting that slight Scandinavian cadence show through. I'd pissed him off. The one thing I promised myself I would never do is piss the boss off and that is exactly what I just did.

I went into my bedroom and slid out of my dress and put on my flannel pajama bottoms with a spaghetti strap tank, washed my face and brushed my teeth. Then I just cried into my pillow. The tears that I had been holding back escaped. If I could've howl at the moon like my son, I would've. So many emotions pent up over the course of one day. I wanted to hope tomorrow would be better but I felt in my heart it'd be the same.

I cried myself to sleep but groggily roused with the feeling of being held tenderly by what looked like a big blond blur. The curse of being nearsighted, I wrote it off as a dream and went back to sleep. The next time I woke up, those arms were no longer holding me but rays of sunlight were pouring through my bedroom window. I checked to see if my strange dream happened to leave fang marks other than the ones already above my breast. He didn't.

I dragged on my fluffy robe and went out to the kitchen. I didn't hear the usual morning noise of my kids' feet padding up and down the hard wood floor or drawers opening and closing instead only silence. To my surprise I wasn't alone. A welcome person was sitting at my kitchen table. Sunlight caught in his tousled dirty blond hair and his eyes were no less sad than they were the night before. He smiled tentatively.

"Morning 'Lindy," he said in that wonderful Cajun voice. "Your friend didn't want to leave you completely alone so she called me. She took your kids to a place called Karma's Backbone."

"Good morning Remy," I said trying to manage pleasant but failing miserably.

"It's alright 'Lindy. I probably shouldn't be alone either," Remy said as I went to brew a pot of coffee. "Daddy Joe told me about you," Remy then said as he stood up. "I didn't want to believe him until I saw these last night," Remy said as he grabbed my arm and pushed up the sleeve of my robe revealing my past indiscretions. I glared at him angrily but he just smiled gravely. I pulled my arm away and hid my scars under the sleeve again.

"If you must know sweetheart, you're not the only one with demons. I've been forty years sober. I spent my youth in a bottle," Remy confessed. The anger in me seemed to disappear at that moment. "Neither of us should be left alone under the circumstances but you're the only one who knows that."

"You're an alcoholic," was all I could say.

"And you're a drug addict. Aren't we the pair? Would you believe me if I told you that coming up against werewolves was my first step towards sobriety?" he said with that same sober smile. "It was my first kill and the chien bâtard gave me this scar," Remy said as he pointed the scar under his right eye. "Nearly killed me too. The old man ended up setting me to rights and I've been clean since."

"If it wasn't for Daddy Joe, a psychic named Harry and my kids setting me to rights, I would've been dead," I quietly said.

"Well darling, since we are quite a pair, let me take you to my place and we can grieve together out on the shooting range. It'll do us both some good. Plus I want to see if you can handle that .38. What do you say 'Lindy?" Remy said as he sort of stood in my personal space. Despite his recent loss, Remy wasn't about to give up with his flirting, not that I minded.

"Let me get cleaned up first," I said, realizing that I just committed myself to an impromptu date with a sexy as hell supe hunter. Guess I'm not destined for normalcy.

Remy drove us out to Daddy Joe's. His Gran Torino was as immaculate on the inside as it was on the outside. It was mostly original except for a few tricked out details like the hidden compartments for guns, bullets and wooden stakes. It even had a souped up engine for quick escapes. It reminded me of a supernatural Bat mobile.

"I hope it's not too soon 'Lindy? We can go someplace else if you like, it's just that it's real private," Remy said thoughtfully. I thought about it for a moment. Daddy Joe's homestead is now Remy's. When Remy offered to take me to his place he meant here.

"I'm going to have to come back here sooner or later. I guess sooner is better," I said and the corner of Remy's mouth quirked up in a smile. Even though I was still grieving, a part of me could still notice of how sexy Remy looked when he smiled.

"Glad to hear it p'tit," Remy said as he reached over my seat and pulled out a small automatic. Oh my, he smelled damn good today too. "I see you brought the .38. I think I got some ammo for that. No need to waste good silver."

Remy courteously opened my door and gently touched the small of my back as he escorted me to Daddy Joe's homemade shooting range. It was nothing special, just a bunch of Coke cans lined up on two by fours. Over to the side he had archery targets and a couple of planks painted with vampire and werewolf silhouettes. To some people it probably looked like a junk yard but to me it was a haven that was only made better by the presence of Remy.

"Let me see your piece," Remy said and I couldn't help but color faintly when I handed him the gun. The bane of fair skin. His hand brushed mine as he took the handle of the gun from my grasp.

"Your boss man seems to have some knowledge of firearms for one as old as he is. Picked the perfect piece for a lady," Remy said as he expertly emptied the silver bullets and put in regular shot. "Here you go 'Lindy. Show me what you got, cher."

I retrieved the gun from his hand and proceeded to put some distance between myself and the cans. I got myself settled in a comfortable wide stance and aimed holding the gun with both hands. I shot five rounds at the five Coke cans. I knocked down four of the five. Remy let out a whistle and I smiled. "That's some eye you got there p'tit. I thought you would only get two cans at best. The old man was right about you," Remy turning that beautiful smile on me. "I think I can make you better."

It was Remy's turn to show me that he was more than just a pretty face when it came to firearms. I had loaded the chambers with the bullets, but before I could re-aim, Remy took it from me and faced the cans he had repositioned. He held the gun in one hand and shot all five cans with the speed of a machine gun. He smiled, and did the cowboy thing by blowing at the barrel and twirling the gun. "I want you to shoot like that mon amie," Remy told me in that wonderful Cajun accent. His voice stirred something inside me.

Remy corrected my stance, which I didn't mind. It was like he was finding reasons to touch me, mmmmmm. Remy was six feet of good looking outdoorsy Cajun, so who was I to complain? We worked at this much of the afternoon. When we were done, I reloaded the silver into the gun and put it back into my holster. Remy and I stopped in a greasy spoon before he took me back home. I enjoyed my afternoon with Remy but something told me that a little half breed elf had this planned all along. It wouldn't surprise me if a certain demigod was in on it too. I guess that's what friends are for.


	40. Chapter 40

**Can't believe I hit forty chappies! I've enjoy typing every word and sharing my imagination to all the readers out there is Cyberland! Thanks! Thanks to my lovely beta, treewitch703 as well!**

There was a delivery truck parked in my drive. It looked sort of like one of those refrigerated jobs with a very colorful paint job on the trailer that advertised Karma's Backbone with its signature blue bird and lotus blossom. The plates even read FRSTBITE, as a nod to Mag's mom Esmeralda. The demi-god's super sized frame slumped against the trailer while engaged in a serious conversation with a man about Eric and Alcide's height. The smaller man had the same strong features as the giant with long golden hair and what appeared to be red gold stubble glinting along his jawline. He wore a fitted leather motorcycle jacket with a lightning bolt emblazoned on the back with T.G.M.C. above it in that strange rune pattern. He looked far too young and neatly made to be Mag's dad, in fact he looked even younger than Mag.

Mag's serious demeanor quickly lightened when he spotted Remy's car pulling in next to the truck. The stranger turned around expectantly. Mag straightened his back and shoulders making his companion appear even smaller.

"Mmmmm, Belinda, so good to see you again," Mag said as he scooped me up with his strong arms. I ended up dangling there like one of Izzy's dolls. That was another thing about Mag; he was like an oversized, impulsive puppy when it came to affection. Unlike Eric he hadn't been hardened by living in this world for millennia. Mag had spent most his time in Asgard along with other Norse gods and creatures of myth, and like them he was older than memory. Even though Mag was a demigod he had a fascination with mortals and escaped to this realm to live a mundane life as a stock boy.

"It's always good to see you too," I said as Mag delicately put me back down on my own two feet. I meant what I said too. Mag always put me in a good mood whenever I saw him. I didn't think it had anything to do with the energy he'd shared with me either.

"The children are inside. They seem to cheer up around mother. She enjoys their company even though they are sad right now," Mag said, looking down at me with those incredible ultramarine eyes of his. As wintery as the color of his irises were, he managed to make his gaze warm and caring.

"Is your Mom here?" I asked as I nodded towards the brand spanking new delivery truck.

"Oh no, Aunt Astir asked me to bring the children home. They had some business they had to take care of at the store. Mother gave me the rest of the day off since my baby brother has come to visit," Mag said as he playfully wrapped the stranger in a half hug. Even though the guy wasn't as big as Mag, he made Remy look like a runt in comparison. The gods of Asgard must eat well to grow 'em so big.

"The name is Modi, fair lady," the stranger said as he took my hand and kissed it with a flourish. Yep, more than just your average run of the mill biker. He would probably have his ass handed to him if he was seen acting like that at Howl's but then again, who knows what a demigod is capable of? I need to make a trip to the library one of these days or learn how to use Andy's computer. Learning anything about Viking beliefs has recently made it to the top of my to-do list along with bits on vampire folklore and were-anythings.

Modi gave me a lustful smile that I swear had Remy reaching for the gun that was tucked under his long leather jacket. Remy didn't wear black like most of his people did but had a nice beat up brown duster that looked an awful lot like the one Daddy Joe wore in his younger days. I quickly snagged Remy's hand. I don't really know where the impulse came from but when I looked over at the hunter he now sported a cocky smile.

Modi was attractive but nothing like his brother. Mag must have gotten all the looks in the family while Modi had the charm. His eyes were an unusual foxy brown and he had the same strong cleft chin as his brother as well as the intense gaze. Modi's complexion was ruddier than Mag's wintry pallor; he looked as if he spent time outdoors. His stockier build lacked the grace of his gigantic brother.

"You're not from around here," I said rather tartly. Of course he is not from around here, the accent was a dead giveaway but I felt I needed to make start a conversation to deflect the way Modi was eye fucking me.

"I'm from out of town you could say," Modi said, using the same cadence as his brother. It was odd since Esmeralda or Auggie gotten past their accents despite their deep Scandinavian heritage. Eric's only showed his when he got angry or happened to be in the throes of passion. How would I know the last part? Well, I could've sworn I heard it in his whisper the night he paid me my bonus in full.

"You may call me Moe," Modi said as Mag seemed to close his eyes in pain. I had never seen Mag act like that before. He truly seemed annoyed by his brother's behavior.

"What are you? A stooge?" I said and he gave me a hearty laugh, can't accuse Modi of being any less of a Viking.

"You are a perceptive little bint, aren't you?" Modi said in a patronizing tone. "I am a stooge, a warrior, a poet and most importantly… a lover. Would you prefer I call myself Larry or Curly? Come to think of it, I always liked Shemp. He was a much under appreciated stooge," Modi said with an eyebrow wiggle. Pa-lease, who does this idiot think he is? I take that back about Modi possessing charm. He was the only one laughing at his lame jokes.

Mag leaned down and clued me in, "Modi got banished from Asgard for stealing Odin's finest mead. Knowing my brother, he has probably been hitting it too hard. Sif finds him to be the laziest of all of Thor's offspring even though he is her son."

"I heard that dear brother. I am not at all that lazy. I made quite a life for myself as a mortal when Thunder Shock took its share of chart toppers. My old manager is still sending me residuals. Enough to keep me supplied with drink although the mortals don't brew like they used to. Beats being a stock boy in your mommy's store," Modi said with a laugh. What a jerk!

"I can see it," Remy said with a curious smile. "I used to listen to Thunder Shock in my younger days. They were kind of a mixture between Alice Cooper and Kiss. You're the lead singer, Lars Thorsson."

Funny, Remy never struck me as the glam rock type. Then again, he had been a teenager long before I graced this world. Being recognized as this rock star made Modi's shit eating grin spread wider. I'd seen pictures of Thunder Shock during some documentary about the seventies. Thunder Shock was an imported Swedish band much like ABBA, the major difference being is that ABBA can still be heard whereas Thunder Shock seemed to have fallen off the face of the earth. Guess it's kind of hard to do a reunion tour when the lead singer doesn't age or show any of the usual signs of hard living.

"That was during one of my many rebellious phases," Modi admitted.

"It really pissed off father," Mag murmured. "Once he even had the nerve to show his power on stage at a concert. It's a good thing that mortals are so jaded these days." Mag rolled his eyes and Modi laughed.

"At least I'm not chicken. Big'n'pretty goody two shoes here was always the old man's favorite son even though father had little regard for the Jotunn except for occasionally fucking golden boy's mommy. Mag's the only other one strong enough to wield Mjollnir. Father's little prince," Modi said with a disgusted look on his face. Mag held his temper. This kind of behavior probably wasn't anything new to him. In fact, the smell of alcohol just rolled off the Æsir wannabe .

"I should be the stronger one. I should be the one father showers with gifts. Hell, I'm the son of two gods and not some mutt," Modi then said, giving Mag a cross look. Mag didn't look angry at that moment, he looked hurt.

Remy looked over at me. I knew he understood Modi's behavior. It was like Remy was looking at a mirror version of his former self. Even I knew what the god was doing. He was escaping into any drug available and it was hurting his older brother. Mag had no understanding but Remy and I sure as hell did. Addiction is an ugly thing and I guess no one is truly safe from it, neither mortals nor immortals. Even though Modi will never die from his addiction, it was still disabling him and hurting his family. Now it was my turn to give Mag some support.

"I'll take care of Modi," Remy whispered in my ear. "You take care of that giant, 'Lindy. Never thought I would be playing AA with an immortal or whatever the hell he is."

"Or nursemaid to a giant," I whispered back and Remy smiled.

With all the pain of my recent loss and as weird as that may sound, I found a purpose. I owed this to Mag considering that I still think he had a hand in a certain impromptu date this afternoon. I also have a feeling that Mag hasn't been in this realm as often as his brother has. He probably didn't understand human frailties. Modi seemed to have gotten all caught up in it. I couldn't bear looking up into those hurt eyes any longer. Not only did Mag look hurt but bewildered as well.

I reached out for his hand. "Come on inside. You and I need to talk in private," I said to the childlike mountain of a man. Modi glared at Mag like the giant just stole his favorite toy. Hate to tell Modi this, I'm my own woman. I presently belong to no one and no one belongs to me.

The big man followed me into the house. Mag had to duck to get through the doorway and even then, he was pretty close to scraping my ceiling. At the moment, he didn't really seem all that tall with a sad slump to his shoulders. Mag wasn't the slouching type; he always carried himself tall and proud. Modi must've wrecked his mood. Normally I would've directed my guest to the kitchen where I would either brew coffee or make some tea but Mag was a special case. He was so big that my kitchen chairs would probably splinter to bits under his great size. He would be far more comfortable on the couch anyway with the coffee table moved out of the way which is exactly what I did.

Andy came into the kitchen, wondering what was going on and why there was a giant crying in our living room.

"Mom, what's going on? Does this have to do with Modi? Mag tried to get him not to drink in front of us," Andy said with a concerned look on his somber face.

"He doesn't understand. Where Mag comes from that kind of behavior is normal. Here it can get somebody killed," I tell my son. Andy is well aware of addiction problems. Hell, he observed it on a daily basis at the roach motel where hookers and drug dealers were a common sight.

"Mag didn't think you would like having us around a drunk. He told me he saw something about it on T.V." Andy said. Now I understood where Mag got some of his modern ideas, the boob tube. Television and real life are not the same and here's a giant learning that lesson the hard way.

"He really doesn't understand, sweetheart. We're just going to have to help him," I tell my son as I grabbed a tray with two coffees and some cookies. I wasn't sure if Mag liked coffee, drinking tea seemed kind of girly to me and Vikings are all about being real men, besides who doesn't like coffee?

"It's okay Mag. Andy makes me mad sometimes too," I heard my daughter confide as I walked towards the living room. Izzy was cuddled in the crook of Mag's arm, hugging his middle. Crystalline tears fell from Mag's eyes. "I still love my brother though. He's the only one I have," Izzy advised Mag. The tears weren't crystals but ice. Just like Esmeralda cries snowflakes, her son's tears turn to small shards of ice.

"I love my brother too, little one. It's just that I don't like it when he says such hurtful things. I cannot help that I am bigger and stronger," Mag tells my daughter. I decide to wait on bringing in the coffee as I watch my little girl with the demigod.

"I wish I could be a wolf like my brother but then I couldn't have my angel anymore. Eric is my friend. He takes me flying and gives me presents. If I were a wolf, I would have to hate Eric," Izzy tells Mag. "I'm glad I'm not a wolf. I don't care if Andy is different. I love him."

Izzy stood up and wobbled on the couch, which is something she knows I don't like but I let it slide this time. Seated Mag was still taller than my daughter but that didn't stop Izzy from attacking him with a hug as she balanced on her tiptoes. She even managed to kiss his cheek. This made the giant feel better.

"You are wise, little one. I cannot change who I am," Mag said and kissed Izzy's forehead. Izzy quickly slid down to her butt, hoping that I wouldn't notice her breaking a house rule. She may seem blank at times but lately she has had a more lively expression thanks to a certain vampire. It'll definitely be interesting when the instructors at her school notice the change in her behavior. She keeps it up; she'll be in normal public school before long.

"Izzy, you mind letting me talk to Mag for a bit?" I ask her and she understood perfectly well that I meant alone. She nodded and went off to her bedroom but not before attacking Mag with another hug. Mag smiled as I waited until I heard her bedroom door close.

"You know Belinda, I have always wanted children of my own but the women of Asgard fear me and the mortal women only look at me with lust. I could never find the right match. Of course being part Jotunn has a lot to do with it. Asgardian women fear my size and mortal women just seem so easy, if you know what I mean," Mag tried his best not to offend me with his last remark and none was taken. Mag was truly beyond the reach of the average mortal woman and he was all too aware of their feelings towards him.

"You are the first mortal woman that hasn't looked at me with covetous eyes and for that I am grateful," Mag said as he took my hand. "I know I am quite a startling sight to most mortals but you looked past all that and saw me for who I am."

"Mag honey, this is not about you. There is an important matter we need to discuss," I said and Mag's eyes grew pained again. "That brother of yours has no right saying those hateful things about you but it's not him talking. You know that?"

I reached up and stroked Mag's long black hair behind his slightly pointed ear. Tears welled up in his eyes again and once they started trailing down his cheek, the tears hardened into small ice crystals, a diluted version of his frost giant side showing though. He just nodded.

"I have witnessed mortals' drunken behavior before. I should've never let Modi be around your children. It's just that mother and Aunt Astir were so busy and Modi just showed up. I didn't want to leave him but I also didn't want him near your children. I am so sorry," Mag said as he still held my hand. His grasp was cool but not yet icy. Just like his mother, Mag's frost giant side showed through under stress.

"It's okay hon, Andy and Izzy both know about stuff like this," I said as I pulled my hand from his and unbuttoned the sleeve of my flannel shirt. I rolled up the sleeve, exposing scars from my past. I wasn't quite sure if Mag knew anything about drugs. If he didn't, I was going to teach him all about it. I held my arm out in front of him and Mag studied the scars. "Those are from needles," I finally said while Mag lightly touched them.

"Needles? Why did you poke yourself so often with needles?" Mag asked which only showed me his ignorance.

"Not sewing needles, hypodermic needles. The type modern doctors use to heal. Only I didn't use them to heal. I used them to escape much like Modi uses liquor. It is called addiction and it can kill a mortal if they let it. I fought it and still struggle with it to this day. I haven't put anything bad in my body for over ten years and I plan on keeping it that way but the temptation is always going to be there," I said. "Sometimes I would even sell myself if I had to. Drugs were the only thing I ever wanted. In my silly little mind it was the only thing I had to numb my emotional pain. Modi is drowning his pain in liquor. Earth is not like Asgard. We do celebrate with drink but we mortals have to watch ourselves. Modi drinks all the time, doesn't he?"

"Well, maybe he has cause. Father has always favored me and our sister. Prudor is a Valkyrie and she is fair and perfect. Modi tried his best to please father but it never seemed enough. When Modi was old enough to join us in battle, he proved time and again that he is truly a great warrior but he spent most of his time with nose in a drinking horn. Many a times I had to protect him because he was too drunk to fight. I tried to help him but Modi would turn on me with anger. He'd write sweeping sagas that the Vikings passed down for generations. Some can still be heard today. He did this to please father but father didn't feel that a warrior should be doing such things. Modi and father always fought, whether it be on the battlefield or during a great feast. I always tried to mediate and stop the fighting but to no avail," Mag said, looking down at me with those sad eyes. "Do you think Modi has an…addiction to drink?"

"The signs are there, sweetie. He is addicted to the wrong kind of drink. Remy and I can help him a little but he has to help himself too. It also sounds like your brother has some daddy issues too. He needs to stop trying to please Thor and think about himself a little more. I don't doubt that your brother is a good man but that's not him speaking, it's the booze. You get me Mag?" I said as I held Mag's enormous hand in both of mine. Mag seemed so innocent at that moment as he looked down at me.

" You are grieving the loss of your friend, do you have the energy to help me too? I don't want to burden you Belinda."

"Yes Mag, I am but that's what friends do, we help each other. I may not be as big and strong as you are but I have my strengths. They may not be the same as yours but I can use them to help you just as if I ever need help moving furniture, I could call you," I joked and Mag's lips quirked up as he understood.

"I would be more than happy to help you Belinda. You are wise for one so small," Mag joked back. I smiled and hugged my gigantic friend. Mag returned it, filling my senses with the smell of evergreens and icy ocean breezes.

Mag and I went back out to the delivery truck. Remy had the trailer open and was tending to a passed out Modi. Remy held a bag with ten empty liquor bottles. Most were vodka bottles but it seems that Modi developed a taste for tequila too.

"Son of a bitch drank all this in the short time I was talking to him. Tried to get me to join him but I know better. Passed out and didn't know what to do with him. So I found this high couch back here and laid him down," Remy said. "Packs it down like no one I've ever seen before. What are you people? He should be dead. Even a werewolf can't drink that much without getting alcohol poisoning."

I looked up at Mag. This was his call to make. I'm not about to share someone else's secret and being the son of the god of thunder, well if you ask me, that is a titanic secret.

"He is a god. Modi and I are the sons of Thor. He is the son of Sif and I am the son of the frost giantess Jarnsaxa. We both come from the realm of Asgard," Mag said in a matter of fact way. Remy shook his head in disbelief.

"I have hunted werewolves, some vampires and even seen a few woodland folk but never did anyone tell me that Norse gods are real. Hell, my father even had a selkie working for him once. You are a giant?" Remy said, still in shock of the possibilities.

"Not full-bloodied Jotuun. Myths left out that my mother is half fairy," Mag said as he pulled back his hair behind his ear showing Remy the slight point.

Remy mumbled a few Cajun words that I didn't know too well. My guess is that he was probably cursing. Modi moaned awake from his stupor. Guess it doesn't take long for the effects of alcohol to work its way through an immortal's system!

"Hell Mag," Modi said and cursed in Norse after that. Mag spoke to Modi in Norse right back. Mag even raised his voice to his brother. Modi rolled his eyes and begged for some more vodka. Mag refused and did something I never thought I would ever see the giant do. He raised his fist and punched Modi right in the face, knocking the smaller man out cold. It seemed to be an effortless blow for Mag.

"He will heal and wake up. No harm," Mag said with a straight face. "I will take him to my place and clean him up. We are going to have a long talk."

"Make sure you get rid of all the liquor before he wakes up," Remy said, still floored by Mag's revelation. "Immortal or not, you can't leave the temptation around. I'll dispose of these." Remy held up the plastic bag and Mag nodded.

"I better go before Modi realizes what I just did. You take care, my friend," Mag said as he picked me up into another hug.

"You too," I said as I held him as tightly as I could. Mag put me back down and folded his long frame into the truck cab. Remy and I waved.

"You really do hang out with an interesting crowd 'Lindy. I know I've told you that before. Right cher?" was all Remy could say. I just laughed.

I leaned against Remy's car as he stood dangerously close. I bit my lip as I looked up at him. To say that Remy was a man's man would be the understatement of the year. There was definitely a growing attraction between us as we watched the sun start its descent. Remy's hand brushed my arm.

"I've got to be going 'Lindy. Shack opens back up tomorrow and I want to be there," Remy said as he leaned in close.

"Yeah, kids got school tomorrow and Eric might have some work for me," I said quietly and Remy smiled as our faces grew closer. I felt something tugging at my coat. I look down and am greeted by a pair of big blue eyes and a ponytail. Remy let out a laugh.

"Mom, I like Remy," my daughter told me and Remy just smiled.

"I like you too darlin'," Remy tells my daughter.

"He'd make a great daddy," Izzy said in a matter of fact way. I turn ten shades of red while Remy laughs. I bashfully look up at him and he smiled at me. I was at a loss for words.

"You go on in sweetie. It's starting to get a little chilly out here and you don't have your warm coat on," I said to my daughter who was only wearing a light jacket. Izzy lips quirked up and ran right on back into the house. Remy let out a low masculine laugh as I watched my little girl over his shoulder.

"That girl is observant," Remy said as he leaned closer.

"Too much sometimes," I answered as I looked up at him. We found ourselves moving even closer. The next thing I know, Remy's lips are brushing mine as my arms reached around his neck. I felt a rush at that moment. I didn't want it to end.

"Thank you for the nice time," I said breathlessly.

"Think nothing of it 'Lindy. I hope we can have many more nice times," Remy said, equally as breathless. I smiled and Remy looked hopeful. We definitely are quite the pair.

Remy left before the sun was fully set. He admitted to me that he didn't want to be around when the vampires showed up. Truth is he didn't want to be around in case Clancy showed up. Remy didn't want to piss Eric off by staking one of his underlings. I gave the hunter my phone number and he gave me his cell phone number and the promise of another date even though this one didn't really count. It was more like grief counseling with guns, not that I minded.


	41. Chapter 41

**As always, I want to thank treewitch and my loyal readers!**

I was ready sit down and enjoy a meal of thanksgiving leftovers with my kids when the doorbell rang. I silently cursed to myself and the time of year it was when I realized it was dark outside. Izzy immediately jumped out of her chair causing me to do the same. Here I was hoping for a nice quiet Sunday evening, just me and the kids. I have a strong feeling my quiet nights with just me and the kids are history. Now it will be more like me and the kids mixed in with a few vampires or werewolves, depending on the night. I groaned loudly and rolled my eyes at the thought of having to entertain one more person.

Izzy eagerly waited for me to answer the door like she already knew who was on the other side. I checked the peep hole and sure enough two blond vampires stood on my front porch. I open the front door and Pam just glides on past me while Eric was getting attacked by my girl with hugs. Pam turned her nose up at the smell of our dinner while she made herself at home on my couch. She stayed silent as she put down her Prada and picked up my National Enquirer.

Eric smiled at my daughter as he picked her up. Izzy's ponytail bounced as she let out a laugh. Pam's brows furrowed from behind the tabloid. She shook her head and did her best to ignore Eric with my daughter.

"What do I owe the pleasure?" I said in a less than pleasing tone. I had a busy afternoon, between shooting guns and helping out demigod brothers' sort out their family issues I was ready to crash for the night. I wasn't in the mood for vampires at this moment.

"It's Fangtasia business. Pam insists on taking you out shopping for more proper work attire," Eric said as I started to share the same dissatisfied look as Pam. My bullshit meter was going a mile a minute at this point. There was something behind this.

"More like…," Pam said before Eric cut her off.

"Silence Pam! You were telling me the other night that Belinda needs a wardrobe makeover, were you not," Eric hissed out.

"I thought you all already gave me my work uniform," I jumped in. There was definitely something more to this than a shopping trip.

"Yes, but we must have accessories," Pam intervened but sounded bored about it.

"Okay, who's going to watch my kids and make sure they get to bed early. They got school tomorrow and Auggie's nephew told me that she is busy at the store," I said with my hands on my hips. Pam had that cat just ate the carney grin on her face. Oh this should be interesting.

"The werewolf was busy too," Eric spat out unhappily and then morphed into a quick smile. "Since I know you don't trust my other vampires..."

"Damn skippy I don't," I blurted out and Eric's brow furrowed momentarily until he realized that he was holding a very content little girl. Eric's features quickly smoothed out. Oh yeah, this should be very interesting.

"Since you don't trust the other vampires… I take it upon myself to watch your children," Eric quickly spat out that last part. Pam's smile widened. She looked as though she wanted to laugh but restrained. Hell I even I wanted to laugh. Eric didn't strike me as the babysitting kind. I shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth or in this case a generous Viking vampire with very sharp fangs in the mouth.

"Mom! Nooooo!" I heard Andy say from the kitchen. My boy and his supernatural hearing. I just put my head into my hand. Jesus Christ Superstar, talk about a rock and a hard place. I guess if I had my choice between Eric and some other strange vampire, I guess I choose Eric. Besides, what can beat seeing the smile on my daughter's face?

"You heard the boss man son, this is work business," I tell my boy from the living room and then I heard him groan. Andy stomped on into the living room towards the hall and then he slammed his bedroom door shut.

"Andy will be okay, Eric. You are going to babysit me?" Izzy ask the vampire.

"Yes my little Valkyrie," Eric tells her and Izzy gives him a big hug. Pam rolls her eyes. It's no big secret that Pam doesn't like my children or any kids for that matter.

"Let's get out of here. If I could throw up right now, I would," Pam said at the sickly sweet sight of her boss with my little girl. Pam doesn't seem like she was ever the nurturing kind.

"I haven't eaten my supper yet," I tell her and she rolled her eyes. "If we leave now, you got to promise we are making a pit stop at my favorite coffee place."

"Don't you have coffee here?" Pam said rather impatiently.

"Yes I do but if I'm going to be dragged away from my kids and forced to go shopping with you, I think I deserve my favorite coffee," I said through gritted teeth. Pam glared at me like she was trying to catch my eyes.

"Pam," Eric said in a stern tone. "No glamouring Belinda. I have made that very clear. Take our human to get her coffee like a good little vampire," Eric then said in a more playful tone. Pam rolled her eyes again.

"You owe me those pumps I've had my eye on," Pam says to Eric in an equally stern tone. Eric just smirked.

"You just _had_ to show my child those silly little fashion magazines," Eric said with a playful smile. "Your human publications have been costing me dearly. Now all Pam wants is the best and latest."

I wasn't sure what to say? Eric and Pam looked more like brother and sister, not father and daughter. I have a lot to learn about vampires. Maybe I can ask Remy if he knows anything. I just responded to Eric with a simple, "I'm sorry."

Eric laughed. "She has a mind all her own anyway. That is why I choose her," Eric said. Eric handed Pam what looked like a black credit card. Pam's mood perked up a bit. "Get whatever you think Belinda may need and those pumps you like so much."

"Yes master," Pam said with an ass kissing bow. I guess money motivates vampire as much as it does the living. Pam then turned towards me and started looking me up and down with a critical eye. "I'll start with the glasses and work from there. What do you think about contact lenses?"

"Can't wear 'em. They dry my eyes out too much and my vision is beyond it," I responded and Pam pursed her lips together.

"Hmmmmm, guess we'll just have to look for more stylish frames then. We better get moving if we are to get you looking the part," Pam said as she pulled her car keys out of her purse. I went to get my coat and gun with Eric following me.

"I will guard them well, Belinda," Eric said to me. His nostrils flared. "How's come whenever I see you, there is always a new odor permeating off of you. I smell giant and hunter but I can also pick up another scent too." Eric obviously smelled me for drugs.

"It's probably Modi," I said in a matter of fact way and Eric's eyebrows shot up. "Remy and I are helping Mag out with his brother's drinking problem."

"Another son of Thor," Eric muttered as I smiled up at him before heading out the door.

I piled on into Pam's Toyota. I could tell that Pam didn't like having to take the human clothes shopping and I can't as I totally blame her because I really don't want to do this either.

"So bloodbag, where do you want to get this so-called favorite coffee of yours?" Pam snarled as she pulled out of my drive.

"Karma's Backbone," I responded and Pam rolled her eyes.

"The half-breed's place," she mumbled. "That place is a dump. Why not someplace nicer?"

"They got good mocha lattes and racks of stuff that would fit with the theme you got going on," I said as I crossed my arms.

"It was bad enough I had to go there and fetch Idira for Eric," Pam mumbled distastefully. "That stupid goblin kept asking me where I got my purse," Pam then said and I did all I could to keep from laughing.

Karma's Backbone stayed open late as did all the stores this time of year. I made a bee line for the coffee kiosk with Pam following me. Carrie gave me a sly smile and went about with a coffee order. Jareth winked at Pam and she turned her nose up.

"Fancy seeing you here, Ms. Ravenscroft," Jareth says to Pam.

"Fucking goblin," Pam mumbled.

"Mocha latte I assume," Carrie said to me as she put the drink on the counter. I nodded and paid her for it which she refused to take.

"You're lucky that shifter is cute and the witches are hot because I hate this place," Pam growled out. Pam looked around like she was looking for someone. "Where's Amelia?" Pam asked Jareth.

"That perky little b-witch! She moved back to New Orleans. Her daddy gave her a bloody ultimatum. Said he didn't like her hanging out with trash like us and her mentor didn't think she was experienced enough to be working here," Jareth tells Pam. "Good riddance if you bloody ask me," Jareth leaned into me and whispered. Pam growled.

Speaking of daddies, there was no mistaking the broad red-headed man in the sunglasses and biker gear. No doubt here for booty call. Pam cringed at the energy coming off the large man as he approached the goblin. Jareth was getting ready to change the music when Thor barked out, "Where's Magni?"

Jareth never made it to changing the music. "Bloody hell," Jareth responded. "He's in the back. I'll call him for you, your great majesty," Jareth then sarcastically told the god of thunder with a bow. Thor removed his sunglasses to reveal ruby colored irises. His nostrils flared as he glared down at the goblin. Thunder from the outside nearly shook the store off its foundation but the shoppers went on, unfazed and so did Jareth as he made a call to the stockroom.

Mag had a look of mixed feelings as he strode on over to his father. The god of thunder didn't look so big and mighty next to his son who stood a whole foot taller. Mag did manage to give me a brief smile before looking down at his dear old dad.

"Where's Modi?" Thor demanded. He didn't give Mag as much as say hello or kiss my ass.

"He's in rehab. He won't be out for a while," Mag responded and Thor huffed.

"He doesn't need rehab! He needs a swift kick in the ass," Thor huffed out. "Where's your mother?"

"She is in her office. Perhaps we can discuss this matter in there," Mag said as he pointed towards the back of the store. The giant shrugged as he followed his dad. I looked over at Pam who was contently checking out Mag which leads me to believe that she's bisexual. Seeing Mag with Thor made me glad I didn't really know my own father.

"He's been coming around a lot more since both of his sons ditched Asgard," I heard a familiar voice say. I turned around and looked down at my friend, Augustine Spark. "At least he's not looking for a lay. Figures he would be pissed off about Modi. Dr. Ludwig is the best supe doctor around. She recommended the rehab center. I sure hope that stubborn Viking follows through with the program."

"Eric had to take one of our vamps there," Pam shared with Auggie.

"How is Bubba doing? I heard about that incident out in Hotshot. At least no one was hurt," Auggie said as she fiddled with her knit hat. This one was pink with braided strings. It matched the layer t-shirts she wore, a long-sleeved pink and white stripped t-shirt with and black short sleeved Hello Kitty shirt.

"Eric is still doing damage control. I thought Calvin Norris was going to have kittens," Pam said with a smirk. Auggie just shook her head. Carrie let out a giggle.

"Remy called here and offered to be Modi's sponsor," Auggie tells me as I blush at the mere mention of Remy's name. Auggie gave me a knowing smile.

The bell to the door rang and in walked fairy boy shoulder to shoulder with what looked like his sister. Same curly black hair except the woman looked to be dressed like she just stepped off of a street corner. Fairy boy didn't look much better in his tight leather nut huggers and leather jacket. A third woman trailed behind them dressed like she just left the office. The hooker and secretary did look alike but the secretary carried herself with a little more dignity and class. She wore a black pencil skirt with a blue silk blouse and strappy pumps. The long black coat accentuated her model tall body. She had on a Dillard's nametag that said Claudine.

"Claude, why did you drag us all the way over here? You could've at least waited until I was out of my work clothes," the hooker commented as they walked on pass the coffee kiosk. I could just see the lust oozing from Jareth as he watched the tight leather pants walk on past him.

"You've got to see this guy Claudette. I've never seen anyone like him before," fairy boy tells the hooker. Hooker wore a cut out dress similar to the one Julia Roberts wore in Pretty Woman. She had the legs to pull it off too and the hooker boots made her look Amazonian. Instead of a feather boa, she had on a simple red winter coat that didn't match the ensemble. From my past experience I guessed her profession to be a stripper.

"This better not just be an infatuation," the one named Claudine said as she looked around. I looked over at Pam to see that she had her fangs out. She eyeballed the three strangers like they were a four course meal.

"Can I help you?" Auggie ask the three fairies after she nods to Carrie in some sort of secret code. Carrie pulled out what looked like a silver chain from under the counter.

"Yeah, my brother claims he's seen a giant stock boy here. Says he was a real hottie," the hooker fairy by the name of Claudette tells Auggie. Fairy boy glared at his sister while the one named Claudine rolled her eyes.

"He's busy at the moment but if you come during the _day_, I'm sure he'll be around," Auggie said, emphasizing the word day as she made a small nod towards Pam.

"I am so sorry to bother you. We will be sure to do that," the one named Claudine said.

"Why, I want to see if he's giant everywhere," Claudette blurted out and then she spotted Pam. "Oh I see, we better get a-going Claude."

The three strange triplets made a bee line for the door while Pam stood there entranced. Auggie rolled her eyes.

"Earth to Pam," I said as I waved my hand and snapped my fingers in front of her face. Pam shook her head and put the fangs back away.

"I forgot how delectable pure fairies smelled," Pam purred.

"Hey, we're kind of burning the midnight oil here," I said to my vampire shopping companion.

"Oh yes, I must've lost hindsight of why we're here. We need some gothic accessories. Do you happen to have anything of use here?" Pam asked Auggie.

Auggie showed us racks upon racks of black, red and purple clothing and accessories. Pam dug through the rack with ferociousness. She found me stuff that had patterns of bats, skulls and spiders. She even found me a plaid mini full of safety pins and black knee socks to match. She even found herself a few things. Pam hated the gothic stuff as much as I did but we had to find stuff for work. As much as Pam hated coming here, she was grateful to get the bulk end of our shopping spree done.

Our next stop was a twenty-four hour eye doctor's office. The optometrist was a strange dwarf of a man. There was no one else in the office except for his vampire assistant. She was a lovely leggy blond dressed in a blouse and skirt with a lab coat thrown over it. She showed me the various frames. Pam told me to pick out four I like but to be quick about it. I choose two for work and two for home. The work ones were both black. One had a really cool spider web design on it while the other pair had kind of a blood red swirl mixed with the black. For home and casual I just choose two pairs of simple frames. One was tortious shell and the other was a really dark blue. I was amazed to see that I didn't have to pick them up at a later date because the glasses were ready.

Last but not least, Pam took me to a designer shoe store that I would have never stepped foot into in a million years. This is where she got her prized pumps. Pam then snuck in the purchase of a handbag on Eric's black charge card as well as another pair of pumps. She threatened to glamour the bejesus out of me if I told Eric.

On the way back to the house, I thought I would grill Pam a bit. I still felt that the vampires had ulterior motives for dragging me out of the house.

"Why did you really want to do this?" I cut to the chase.

"Eric didn't want you seeking out drugs. We have had problems with some of the other girls and he doesn't want to lose another human to stupidity," Pam said in a matter of fact way.

"I kind of figured that out for myself," I muttered. "Look Pam, that was a long time ago and I don't intend on doing that to myself ever again. Jesus, those scars are reminder enough let alone the kids. I wouldn't do that to them. My mother wasn't there for me and I don't want my kids to be without theirs."

Pam raised an eyebrow at me. "I was only doing what Eric told me to do. He knows that I've had experience in this sort of thing," was all Pam said. She stayed quiet. I just sat there like a bump on the log.

"Thanks for taking me to get some coffee," I finally said to break the silence. "I promise not to be too much of a handful in the future."

I made out Pam's smile by the passing headlights. I turn quickly so she wouldn't realize that I could see it.


	42. Chapter 42

**Thanks to treewitch703 and the readers out there!**

As soon as we got back to the house Pam handed me my bags and zipped out of there. Vampires have to be the rudest creatures I've ever met.

I was at my front door fiddling with my keys when I spied Clancy out of the corner of my eye. New glasses always seem to take some getting used to. Sure enough when I turned in that direction, there he was standing in the tree line sporting a sinister smile. Then, like magic, he melted into the shadows. A shiver ran down my spine as I managed to get the door unlocked and high-tailed it into my house.

The house was quiet as I turned on the lamp. Pfft! Eric could've thought to turn on a light. I dumped my bags on the couch and headed for the bedrooms. Izzy was out like a light in her comfortable pink bed. She clutched a new doll, looked like another gift from her guardian vampire. This one was one of those expensive American Girl dolls dressed to look like a little Viking girl. No doubt a special order doll to boot. I slipped into her room to lay a light kiss on her cheek. Izzy stirred a bit before settling back down. I also looked to see if there were any visible fang marks. I know, color me paranoid. It's not that I don't trust Eric, I don't trust who he has watching the house even if the SOB can't get in. I was relieved to see that she was unmarked unlike her dear mother.

I then headed towards the gleam of the night light in Andy's room. The door had been left ajar enough that I could see Andy was still awake sitting up in his bed. Eric had pulled out the desk chair to straddle it with his arms crossed on the backrest. My boy and my vampire boss were deep in conversation. Andy was up way past his bedtime but I suspected he is tending towards the nocturnal these days anyway. Andy could always get by on little sleep but I still gave him a bedtime.

I felt the anger in Andy's voice as he ground out, "I want that bastard dead," obviously unaware that I was home. Andy knew I didn't like him cussing. Hell, werewolf or not, I wasn't afraid to come down on him for such language. I'd let it slide since I'm not supposed to be hearing any of this. Eric smiled warmly at my son.

"As do I," Eric affirmed my son's salty comment. "Your mother is a valuable asset."

I'd get angry if I didn't understand the supernatural food chain, but I do get it. I'd rather be an asset than a cow any day of the week. It's nice to see that Eric and Andy have a common ground.

I peeked back through the gap and noticed that Izzy wasn't the only that received a gift. Leaning against the wall near Andy's bedpost was a silvery sword and two wooden sticks. The sticks were no doubt used for practicing but the gleaming sword was for real. I should be upset that my ten year old son is being given weapons instead of video games or baseball bats but this is the hand my boy has been dealt. Andy's life has been anything but normal.

"I'm envious that a warrior as great as Jarnsaxa taught you how to swing a sword Andy. She has taught you well,"

"Jarnsaxa? Esmeralda taught me. Who is Jarnsaxa?" Andy queried.

"She is a frost giant and mother to the demigod Magni,"

"Oh, so Mag's mom goes by another name?"

"Yes, a very long time ago. Before I was even born and I don't mean as a vampire. Jarnsaxa was a great warrior who fought alongside the Vikings against her own people. She helped free the Vikings from eternal winter," Eric recounted. Andy stared at the vampire in utter fascination. "That is a tale for another night. Your mother is home and I promised her that you would be asleep. I've kept you up an hour too long," Eric darted a glance in my direction. He'd known I was standing there the whole time. Andy looked towards the door and so I just waltzed in glowing five shades of red for listening to a private conversation.

"You've got school tomorrow, sweetheart. You were supposed to be asleep an hour ago," I did my best trying to hide my embarrassment.

"I know Mom; it's just that Eric was giving me some pointers on fighting. He even gave me a really cool sword. He is much easier to practice with than Esmeralda or Mag," Andy tells me as I approach his bed. Andy laid down out of habit as I pulled up his comforter. I know he's a big boy and can take care of himself but I can't help but take advantage of the opportunity to tuck him in.

"That's nice of Eric sweetie," I said before I kissed his cheek. I didn't need to remind him to thank Eric because I knew he has already done that.

"You think Remy knows how to swing a sword or maybe Auggie? It'd be nice to have some daytime practice," Andy rambled on as Eric smiled.

"I don't know. We'll have to ask. First and foremost, I want you to worry about your school work and then the fighting. You can't be a good fighter without a smart mind," I tell him. Truth be told, I'd rather my son not become the kind of fighter Eric and my other supernatural friends have been training him to be but if Andy was ever going to survive as a werewolf, it's necessary.

"Your mother is right Andy. A great warrior must have a smart mind," Eric cautioned as he stood up and slid the desk chair back where it belonged.

"'Night Mom, love you," Andy told me as I turned off the night light. I smiled. ""Night Eric," Andy surprised me by saying for the first time, Eric just simply nodded.

"'Night sweetie, love you right back," I tell him as Eric walked past me. I sighed as I shut the door.

"He is a very strong but stubborn boy," Eric commented. "Kind of like you Belinda."

"Thanks," I said while Eric reached out to touch my hair.

"I like the new glasses. They look much better than the old ones you usually wear. I bet you can see me better now," There was a world of implication in Eric's words, I blushed of course. "So human," Eric said, admiring my flushed cheeks. He then leaned down and whispered in my ear, "I've always found that adorable."

I didn't know what to say as I watched his fangs snick down in the dim hallway. I wanted to reach up and touch his sharp teeth. Eric's nostrils flared as I heard a slight growl. My, someone sure is a horny vampire tonight; he must have picked up my scent since I'd had visions of a certain hunter dancing through my head. Good Lord Almighty, I hope he calls me. Eric must've noticed my lukewarm interest because the lust drained out of his face and morphed to a frown.

"Belinda, are you thinking of that hunter again?" Eric asked me and I immediately blushed again. A playful smirk formed on Eric's lips. "Am I being cock blocked by that Cajun vigilante?" he then asked. I laughed despite myself. It was kind of funny hearing modern terminology coming from an ancient vampire's mouth.

"We've discussed this before, not here," I said, trying to change the subject. "The kids might over hear us."

"Belinda," Eric said my name playfully. "You are avoiding my question. You have eyes for that hunter, don't you?"

The thoughtful look and that playful grin told me that he knew I would be lying if I said no. Eric didn't seem at all upset or possessive which I thought seemed rather odd. He seemed strangely content with it.

"I am happy for you if you are. At least I know than you won't be seduced by the atmosphere of the bar and the vampires. It will be one less problem for me to deal with," Eric said, matter of factly.

"You're not upset. Daddy Joe always told….," Eric stopped me before I could get out what I was about ready to say.

"A little disappointed but not upset. I do not possess you Belinda. I have no need to possess humans," Eric said as he leaned a little closer. "Most come to me willingly," He whispered with a playful smile.

"I don't doubt that, but why are you disappointed?"

"Because it is so hard these days to find a real red head. I find the blood of red heads to have a unique flavor, almost an effervescence. Modern human women are deceitful creatures. Most like to cover up their true selves. Not you Belinda. I knew from the first bite that you weren't all smoke and mirrors," Eric said as he put his hands on my shoulders. "I doubt the hunter will take kindly to me fucking and biting his woman," Eric said with a wink as he looked down at me.

"I'm not his woman… yet. We haven't had our first date," I said, wishing I hadn't said it by the wicked look in Eric's sapphire gaze. He let out a laugh.

"Oh Belinda, you and your human sensibilities. I am truly happy for you. A vampire and a drug addicted human make for a volatile coupling, it doesn't help that human to stay clean. Just make sure he keeps his hunting activities away from my bar. That is all I ask," Eric said like he knew something I didn't. Then it dawned on me, Izzy. Eric probably found out about Remy through Izzy.

"Right, no hunting business at the bar. I think Remy will respect that as long as you and your fang gang leave him alone," I said and Eric gave me another smile. "I know vampires and hunters get along as well as vampires and werewolves. I think Remy will respect your space if you respect his," I said in a hard tone that only caused Eric's smile to widen.

"Agreed," Eric simply answered.

"Now if you don't mind, I've got to get to bed 'cause I'm up with the kids," I said as I did an about face to my bedroom. Eric caught my arm.

"One last time before you belong to him," Eric said as he pulled me close. I rolled my eyes at him and Eric frowned.

"Fine, one last time but be gentle. That last time you nearly took me to the edge. I can't have Andy and Izzy hearing my screams of passion," I said and Eric smiled as he flipped me up over his shoulder and carried me the rest of the way to my bedroom. Now I know how cave women felt.


	43. Chapter 43

**I want to thank my readers and treewitch703 for putting up with me!**

I did my best to stay quiet as Eric tossed me down on my bed. He smirked mischievously as he practically ripped the buttons off my flannel shirt. Disappointment flashed across his face when he saw I had a cami on underneath but was replaced with lust as he ripped that off too. Looks like I'd have to invest in a sewing machine if this kept up.

"Breathers and their layers of clothing," he mumbles.

"Don't you remember the feel of the cold on live skin? For God sakes, you're a fucking Viking," I said quietly right back as a grin tugged at his lips.

"A Viking who likes to fuck," he said with amusement as he undid the fly of my jeans. I laughed softly at his word play but I was careful not to wake up the kids. I'd offer to give Eric a BJ instead of him screwing me blind but I kept his warning in mind. If Eric cried tears of blood who knows what he ejaculates, or if he even ejaculates at all? Addiction really is like having a monkey on your back, ready and waiting to make trouble.

Eric took off his shirt and leaned over me as he admired my matching lace panties and bra. His fingers touched the two fang marks he'd left above my left breast. His fingers then traced the scar tracks along my arms.

"Why haven't you tried tattooing over these like most people do these days?" he asked with a curious gaze.

"I don't like needles," I respond and Eric's lips curl at the irony. "Actually I don't like tattoos. It's just me. My scars are my reminder that I never want go down that road again."

"I will never allow you to be that person again," Eric said and started peppering me with kisses. He leaned in close enough for me to undo his belt and jeans. Eric unhooked my bra at the same time as I leaned into his chest and ran my hands up his body to brush my thumbs over his pale nipples. It didn't take long for the rest of our clothes to hit the floor.

"Be gentle," I moaned out as a reminder but I have a feeling that my version of gentle and Eric's are two different animals so I prepared to silence myself by biting my lip. We really should be doing this somewhere else. My kids didn't need to hear this. Lord knows they heard enough when we were living in that roach motel.

"I'll be as gentle as a kitten," Eric purred and I bit my lip again as he warmed me up with his talented hands. My back arched and my legs kicked. Eric laughed as his fangs ran out again. God I wanted to scream when he replaced his fingers with his dick. I dug my fingernails into his back and bit my lip so hard I tasted blood again. Sex with Eric, even gentle sex with Eric left me bleeding in one form or another.

When I caught my breath, I moaned out, "This is gentle?" Eric laughed as I felt myself climax. God I wanted to scream but I knew I couldn't, so I resorted to biting my lip again. Eric licked at the blood on my chin, careful not to touch my lips. He purred in satisfaction as he tasted it. Then he lipped his way down to my boobs and pierced his favorite spot with his fangs. It was painful but left me feeling pleasured as he sucked and licked. I tangled my fingers through his thick blond hair as I stifled another loud moan.

"You're going make some girl very lucky one of these days," I managed to say. I don't know what possessed me to say it but I just thought I would put it out there.

"I think I already have," he said in a matter of fact way.

I don't know if I should be freaked out by the fact that Eric wasn't panting, but I'm not. I've noticed one thing about vampire sex and that is the vampire never gets fatigued or out of breath.

"You are really not upset about Remy?" I said, changing the subject.

"Should I be?" Eric said as he propped himself up on his elbow and snicked his fangs away. He licked some blood from his lips. "Belinda, you cannot be with a vampire. You have two children and an addiction that at the moment is under control. Honestly, you would make a pretty shitty vampire with your baggage."

"Excuse me, I never said I wanted to be a vampire," I said in a hushed tone through gritted teeth. Eric only gave me that amused smirk of his. "What do you mean a shitty vampire?"

"Vampires are creatures of magnified emotions and needs. I have seen humans turned with the same problem. They never turn out quite right. I'm dealing with one right now that has an addiction to feline blood," Eric seemed to be sharing for whatever reason. "I don't want you to be lured into our lifestyle which is one of the reasons I chose you."

"It wasn't just my skills, was it? You saw the needle tracks?" I seemed strangely calm at that moment although I was slightly pissed off.

"I don't wish to lie to you. Honestly, I never expected the children," Eric responded.

"I'm sort of like vampire repellent, is that what you're trying to tell me? Nobody wants to sire damaged goods? Well, I'm all for that," I declared and Eric's lips curled up in appreciation of my snark. "I can't be a good mom if I don't have a pulse, besides, no offense, but your kind is no more my cup of tea than the werewolves are. The only reason I put up with the werewolf shit is because of my son. If Andy weren't in the picture, I would have left that shit behind long ago."

"No, you wouldn't have Belinda. You were a foolish girl when you got involved with werewolves. They would have never let you go so easily without your Andrew. They know he needs his mother. The Monroe pack is a dirty bunch, they have always been, but they're smart enough to leave a breeding bitch and her pup alone" Eric said as he ran his hand through my red mop.

"You're a powerful vampire. Isn't there anything you can do about it?"

"I don't get involved with werewolves' affairs unless they owe me like Mr. Herveaux's father does," Eric said in that matter of fact way.

"So there is nothing you can do about Howl's gang?"

"Unless they go after an asset of mine or try to damage what is mine," He simply answered as I laid my head on his quiet chest. "As long as you are employed by me you will be safe, that is a promise," Eric then said and kissed my forehead. Guess that means retirement is out of the question? We both lay in silence until I fell asleep; Eric left at some point during the night.

I woke up to the ringing of the phone but someone must've answered it. I looked at the clock to see that I slept way past when I wanted to. Andy and Izzy are probably settled in their classrooms by now. The bedroom door opened to my good buddy Augustine Spark waving my cordless phone.

"It's Remy, he wants to talk to you," Auggie said with a canary eating grin. She looked sooo pleased with herself. Those teeth of hers might be the stuff of nightmares but I am quite used to them by now. "Maybe he wants to go out on a date," Auggie whispered as she handed me the phone. I got all flushed as I took the phone from her.

"Hello," I said and Auggie giggles. I shooed her away and she skipped out of my bedroom.

"Hey 'Lindy, it's me Remy," I heard that sweet, deep Cajun voice say. If I wasn't feeling so sore from Eric last night, I'd definitely be feeling something in my girlie parts right about now.

"Oh hey there," I say, visualizing him sitting behind Daddy Joe's desk at the shack. Remy probably had his feet propped up on the desk and leaning back in the wooden chair. The phone lazily wedged on his shoulder.

"I was wondering if you have time to come over for a bit? The kid's got everything under control here and I just finished with the books. There's some empty cans just beggin' to be to shot at," Remy said in that wonderful accent of his. It was like honey to my ears. I looked at the clock to see that was only ten-thirty in the morning. At least I didn't sleep in quite as late as I had thought. I knew the kid Remy was referring to was Daryl, who was much younger than Remy. Remy wouldn't age like a normal person and appeared to still be in his late twenties, early thirties despite the fact that he probably in his fifties or sixties.

"You have time. I can call Mag or Jareth to get the kids," I heard Auggie's voice through my bedroom door. Meddlesome supes! I guess they're not all bad. Auggie was one of the reasons I was even getting this phone call in the first place. I can't get too mad at her, right?

"Sure, I'll be right over," I said with a smile.

"Great, I got a little project I'm helping a friend with but you can come around any time," Remy said.

"Good, I'll see you soon," I said in return.

"Bye 'Lindy," Remy said and I hung up the phone.

Auggie insisted that I was going to be alright to drive to Remy's alone. I wasn't sure if that was a good idea and so I kept my gun close. I was very wary about venturing off without someone there. Evidence may have pointed to T-Bone leaving the state but I still didn't trust it.

I pulled into the drive to Daddy Joe's old farm house. The garage door was wide open and I spotted Remy working on a motorcycle with an unusually tall custom frame sitting on top of a workbench. Remy had his shaggy hair pulled back in a loose ponytail. His gray t-shirt that clung to him in all the right ways had random oil spots on it. He smiled with the butt of a cigar dangling from his oh so kissable lips.

Mag's tall frame leaned on the door jamb. I was so focused on Remy that I barely noticed Mag. Just like Remy, he had his hair pulled back in a loose ponytail revealing his elven ears but instead of a cigar, Mag puffed an elaborately carved pipe which was, like everything Mag owned, made for his Brobdingnagian proportions and it looked like something out of Middle Earth. Mag seemed out of place in his modern jeans and a t-shirt smoking on something that came from the world of hobbits. Mag smiled when he saw my car and quickly knocked out his pipe. He appeared to be telling Remy to do the same as Remy quickly spit out the remainder of the cigar and stomped on it with his worn out cowboy boot.

I'd barely gotten out of the car and before I'm picked up in a friendly embrace. Most people would be pissed just to have their space invaded, much less feel like a child being scooped up off the ground. My feathers weren't ruffled because I know Mag wouldn't harm me and his giant hug was only a gesture of bonhomie. I just hugged Mag right back and managed to give him a sisterly smooch on the cheek before he deposited me back on my own two feet. I heard Remy laughing.

"How is my friend today?" Mag asked as he looked down at me speaking with that slight Scandinavian cadence.

"I'm doing just fine. How are you doing Mag?" I said to the guileless giant.

"Remy is showing me how to change the oil on my bike. Tomorrow he will show me how to change the oil on the truck. Automobiles and motorcycles are fascinating contraptions. I have always wanted to learn more about them instead of just operating them but I never had enough time before. Remy has offered to teach me," Mag said like a child ready to start kindergarten.

"That's great," I said as I spied Mag's pipe cooling on the workbench with the aroma of pipe tobacco lingering in the air. Mag looked away like he was guilty of a crime. I just admired the elaborate Norse carvings on the bowl of the pipe. It's true that I was jonesing for a puff but I promised myself it was high time I quit my lesser vice.

"Aunt Astir told me that you had quit," Mag said as he hung his head staring at his boots while toeing at an oil stain. I peered up into that handsome face with the warmest smile I could muster. Mag was sort of like dealing with a very oversized version of Andy. Even though he really is older than dirt, Mag would act much like a ten year old boy at times. Mag did his best to appear as modern as possible but his ancient innocence still shone through. He knew enough of the modern world to get by but in my opinion not enough.

"It's quite alright Mag. I have to learn to control myself around it anyway. Modi is going to have to do the same with booze once he gets out of rehab. It's all a part of being an addict," I explained and Mag took my hand. I glanced at Remy to see that he was as sympathetic towards the giant as I was. Remy probably felt he owed Mag in some way for helping out with Daddy Joe's funeral. Mag's gaze became heartbroken at the mere mention of his brother. Mag loved his brother Modi despite the fact that Remy and I had witnessed Mag knock his brother out cold and heard Modi make hurtful comments to his gigantic brother. "I didn't know you smoked," I said as I decided to change the subject.

"Oh yes, a man named P.T. Barnum introduced me to tobacco. He tried to get mother and me to join his museum of curiosities. I just happened to be visiting when he came to Herr Bergman's Traveling Carnival that day. Mr. Barnum originally wanted mother for his attraction but I happened to be in her wagon visiting her. Herr Bergman had a specially made wagon just for his star attraction but the carnival was having financial problems. Esmeralda the Gifted Giantess was really the only draw, most of the other freaks went on to more profitable venues but Herr Bergman was so good to mother that she decided to stay. She had planned to retire soon due to the fact that it had become tiresome and all the others that started working for the carnival at the same time she did all started showing signs of age. Mother had also grown tired of the slouching and bending to make herself appear smaller than what she truly is.

Anyway Mr. Barnum was taken by mother but he was excited to see me too. Not very many people at that time grew to the heights they do now. He was fascinated to find a mother and son pair but I didn't pose as her son but a friend. No one would've believed me to be her son except for a few close friends and those were not many. Mr. Barnum offered me a cigar as was customary in those days. Since then I like to have an occasional smoke of tobacco," Mag explained as Remy and I stood there like we were catching flies with our mouths. "Mother declined Mr. Barnum's offer as did I. I never stayed long in this realm. Odin had become especially careful with me because of my great size. He only allowed me short visits to see mother. This is the longest I have been allowed to stay and I plan on making the most of it."

Remy shook his head and went back to watching the oil pan. I just stood there like a bump on a log unsure of what to say. Mag smiled warmly, he had gone a long time into his life before he found nicotine. I tried to picture Mag dressed in a three piece suit with a golden pocket watch shooting the shit with the greatest showman in American history. Remy gave me a look that signaled to act casual about it.

"I don't mean to bore you with my story," Mag said with a sheepish grin. I have a strong feeling Mag didn't have too many friends, here or Asgard. The small family he has at Karma's Backbone is probably about it. It's a shame because there is a lot of gentleness in his heart. Looking at Mag makes me think of my own son. Both have been treated like outcasts and yet venerated at the same time. Mag, because of his size, had been considered an Asgardian outcast while Andy never really had a lot of friends his own age because of his otherness. Normal people don't know that werewolves are real but they seem to sense something is different about my boy.

"This guy is full of interesting stories," Remy said as he patted Mag on the back. "I can listen to 'em all day," Remy looked up with admiration. Mag kept his sheepish smile. I wish I knew of someone I could set him up with. Mag needs a girlfriend or at least a companion of sorts.

I let the guys do their guy thing while I perched on a stool in the corner of the garage. It was an ordinary garage but I'm sure Daddy Joe had hidden cubbies in this place for his arsenal. Mag watched with fascination as Remy showed him something as basic as replacing the oil. Remy even supervised Mag as he let him try out the tools which were really too small for Mag's big mitts but the giant had more finesse than I'd imagined.

"We did it," Remy proclaimed and held up his hand. Mag obviously knew what high-fives were as he gently hit Remy's open hand. Mag could easily knock Remy to the floor with one blow if he weren't cautious. "You can take her down now but be careful," Remy then tells Mag. I watched as Mag easily lifted the motorcycle off the workbench and set it down on the floor without straining or even breaking a sweat. Mag held his motorcycle with the same ease Izzy would hold one of her dolls.

"I want to thank you so much Remy," Mag said as he looked down at my hunter. "Mother will be so proud that I am gaining a skill. It will save us some money if I can help maintain our vehicles." Funny, I never thought supes would ever be at a loss for funds but I guess it's good to be a little frugal no matter how much money you have.

"Think nothing of it buddy," Remy said as he reached up and patted Mag on the shoulder. "You helped me and I help you, it's a fair trade." Remy gave Mag a genuine smile. Seems the hunter bonded with the demigod. Mag returned that smile as he went to get his jacket.

"It is nice seeing you again Belinda but I must be going," Mag said and bent down to give me a kiss.

"It is good seeing you too Mag," I said as I reached up and patted his scruffy cheek.

"Don't hesitate to call if you ever need anything or to just talk. You have a good one, my friend," Remy said with that wonderful smile of his. I just wanted to hug Remy at that moment for being so kind and patient with basically an oversized boy. Sure Mag is intelligent, but he is not street smart. It is nice to know that he has someone like Remy that he can confide in and have teach him.

"Farewell," Mag simply said with a knowing smile and wave. You get that too with Mag, sometimes he knows more than he lets on. I have a hunch that Mag wasn't the only one telling stories today. I'm pretty sure a certain hunter did his share of talking.

"He's a good man, just a little too innocent for our world," Remy said as he put his arm around my waist. His touch sent electricity to my toes, even his wild sent mixed in with oil and sweat sent my head swimming. Remy must've caught on with the way he was smiling at me. Good Lord, this man is going to rock my world.


	44. Chapter 44

**Thanks to my wonderful beta, treewitch703 and all the readers and writers out there! Merry Christmas!**

Remy adjusted my shooting stance, but I suspect he was doing more than helping. I have a feeling he wanted an excuse to touch me, not that I minded. The dry smell of explosives filled the air along with that comforting wild smell that is Remy.

"Now 'Lindy, I want you to show me what you got," Remy said with a playful smile and a sideways glance. I blushed of course. Jesus this man is going to be the death of me. "I mean your aim with that gun darlin'. You can show me the rest of what you got later," he whispered in my ear and took a nibble. I couldn't help but giggle.

Remy stood behind me, adjusting my stance and brushing up against me a little more and a little longer than necessary, I didn't mind that either. Who knew the shooting range could be so sexy? I had a feeling Remy could make anything seem sexy. Lord knows he looked as hot as the hinges of hell earlier when he was changing the oil on Mag's bike. At that moment I was thanking all the stars in heaven and Eric Northman for giving me my weapon just as Remy stood back and gave me the okay to fire.

I focused all my concentration on the glittering red Coke cans in front of me, the gun bucked with each release. I emptied the chambers amazed that I made every shot despite the distraction that stood behind me. Yeah, my mind was half on that fellow with the sex-ay smile. What was it with me and scruffy men? Hell if I know, but I wouldn't want Remy any other way!

"That was great 'Lindy! You've got a good eye there girl!" Remy said proudly.

"Despite the fact that I was distracted," I said impishly. Remy grinned that bad boy grin of his as I chuckled.

"I think you've had enough for today…of shooting I mean. If you don't mind 'Lindy, I would like to take you out Friday on a real date? Shooting doesn't really count as a date," Remy mumbled as that cool and cocky hunter reverted into an awkward adolescent. I could feel the blood flush my cheeks.

"Oh Remy, of course I don't mind but let me check my schedule first. Hopefully Eric doesn't need me at the bar for anything." Remy frowned at the mention of my vampire boss.

"I wish I could give you everything that he can. 'Lindy, I know that daughter of yours needs special care and working at the shack doesn't quite cut it. I'll be honest, I don't like that you work for that vamper, no matter his reputation. Vampers can be cruel, cruel creatures," Remy said looking down at me with concerned eyes. "You have to do what you have to do, I understand."

"I can take care of myself," I said as I touched his cheek. Remy and I stood dangerously close. "If it ever gets to be too much, you're the first person I'll call."

"If you sell the Blood Countess's teeth…" I stopped Remy with my fingers to his lips.

"That's talking nonsense. I have no intentions of ever selling off Daddy Joe's most prized possession. Those teeth are special," I said. That pair of canines were like the crown jewels of England. In the supe world, I guess they would be all that and more to the right vampire. "Besides, I've got a little supernatural help of my own."

"Mag told me he doesn't interfere. I can't say as I don't half blame him. I don't know if your little friend Auggie is enough. She seems too delicate to be going against vampers," Remy said as he finger combed the hair out of his eyes.

"Auggie is more than she seems. I'll be alright," I assured the hunter as I leaned into his chest and slipped my arms around his waist. I felt two strong arms around me as Remy stroked my hair. We just stood there in silence.

I didn't want to say goodbye to Remy but I had to, the kids would be home from school and I'd been gone too long. I picked up my kids from school even though we usually had to hoof it through Shreveport traffic back to the motel. I know it's dangerous but some days that was our only option unless I could find a charitable soul willing to give us a ride. I prayed to the angels in heaven that Izzy didn't give whoever picked her up a taste of the whole Izzy. Oh shit, that was another can of worms altogether! The school didn't know about Auggie, Mag or Jareth! Maybe they'd refuse to let Izzy go home with them? What if the school called the police? Double shit!

Just as my worries were getting the best of me, my cell rang and I answered. Sure as shit Auggie's voice was one the other end.

"You have nothing to worry about B; Mag got the kids without a problem. Seems Ms. Simms was quite taken with him. I've told you before that we have our way around stuff like this," Auggie said right off the bat. I let out a relieved sigh.

"How the hell did he do it? Mag isn't exactly another face in the crowd," I said, wondering what the hell went on through the school administrator's heads when they got their first look at a seven and half foot tall Viking legend in the flesh.

"Belinda dearest, that is not my secret to tell but if you must know Mag is Izzy's long lost uncle from far away…" Auggie was ready to go on into this long absurd story but I stopped her.

"They really believed that Mag was kin?"

"No, Harvey hacked into the computer system and went with Mag since it was on the way to his apartment. Harvey posed as family while Mag was the wheel man. Jareth refused to wear his straight man disguise. Goblins, pffffft!" Auggie said in an exasperated tone.

"He didn't have a problem with Izzy, did he?" I asked visualizing Izzy's fit about having to go with the strange werewolf she's only met once.

"Mag circled around the school so Izzy could see him before finding an out of the way place to park. Well not out of the way enough, Ms. Simms found the van and my adorable nephew inside. Guess like all straight women, she liked what she was seeing. Mag never got out of the van though," Auggie explained.

"You mean they took Jareth's ride? That's not very discrete Auggie," I said, thinking of the beat up lime green Volkswagen minibus.

"It's better than the truck or Mag's bike. I would borrow one of the girls' vehicles but Carrie drives a Vespa, Ruby drives an old Hertz and the sisters usually walk to work or hitch a ride with Ruby. Witches! Go figure, they have this thing about hanging out in groups," Auggie said in that exasperated tone again. "Don't worry, Izzy was good for Harvey."

"Harvey would be more believable anyway," I said, panicking at how easy it would be for supes to kidnap my kids. It was just enough for me to start hyperventilating as I pulled the car over. I hate having to pull over but it beats getting into a wreck. I needed to catch my breath but I also felt vulnerable so I made sure the windows were rolled up and the car doors all locked.

"B, you okay? You want me to come get you?" I heard the concern in Auggie's voice instead of the playful tone she used earlier. I was ready to answer her when I heard her say, "I'm on my way." The line went dead.

The atmosphere in the small car began to change. It's beyond me how Auggie always seemed to know where I was. The air crackled and shimmered as a small form materialized in the passenger's seat next to me. She had on the same powder blue cable knit cap on with matching sweater. Dark washed skinny jeans and Doc Marten's completed the ensemble. I noticed that recently Auggie's outfits seemed to be less flamboyant, the only odd accessory was the matching fingerless cable knit gloves. Auggie looked like a dainty little snowflake.

She glanced over at me with those owl-like eyes of hers, reading me like a book. Concern filled her gaze as she reached over and took my hand. I had never really felt genuine love before from someone besides my kids, but here was Auggie. "Not going to happen," she said matter-of-factly. "Andy and Izzy are safe as long as I'm keeping watch. Your kids need their education and I won't allow some mongrel interfere with that and neither will the North man. Trust me when I say that eyes are on them the whole day. If that bastard tries to lay one paw on them, he's got an army to answer to. Mag doesn't like to get involved but he will for the welfare of your children. Mag hates to see the innocent get hurt," Auggie explained as she gently squeezed my hand.

Tears started rolling down my cheeks. If something ever happened to my kids I don't know how I'd live with myself. In the small space of the car, Auggie managed to scramble over and pull me into a hug. I silently cursed myself for going to see Remy.

"B, you can't live like a nun either. Remy is a good guy and that's what you need right now. In fact, I'd say you need him as much as he needs you," Auggie said as she pulled away and looked affectionately at me. She waited until my tears were dry and gave me a small smile.

"That's better. If you don't mind, I'll drive the rest of the way," Auggie said as she got out to switch sides.

I smiled at the sounds coming from my house. My house. Still hard to believe I had a place I could truly call home. From the bottom of the porch steps we heard deep male laughter laced with the giggles of a little girl. Auggie smiled at me as I made my way up the steps. When I opened the door I was greeted by the sight of a very large man on his hands and knees being ridden by a very happy and very content little girl.

"Tell me more about Gold-Mane," Izzy said to an equally happy Mag.

"Ah my steed. He is the most splendid and magnificent horse in all of Asgard. Gold-Mane was a gift from my father for saving his life. No other horse in all of Asgard compares with Gold-Mane," Mag told my daughter as he gently reached for her before rolling over onto his back. Izzy smiled as she comes face to face with the giant. Mag held her by the waist with his strong hands as he sat. She giggled before Mag hugged her protectively

"Let's see, Gold-Mane got his name because his mane was like spun gold. He is a very big horse," Mag said as he looks fondly down at the little girl. This is the side of Mag that makes me glad to be his friend.

"That's because Gold-Mane came from a giant," Izzy says as she looked up at Mag and Mag laughed gently before kissing her on top of her head.

"You are a smart one. Gold-Mane belonged to the evil frost giant Hrungnir. Father and some of his men fought Hrungnir to free all the horses that the giant had stolen. Hrungnir was struck down with father trapped underneath him. The others could not free him. I was only a boy then and after the others gave up I thought I would at least try. What the others had difficulty doing I did easily. Father was grateful and rewarded me with Gold-Mane." Izzy happiness melted into a frown. "What is wrong little one?" Mag asked when he saw her mood had changed.

"They killed Hrungnir. That wasn't very nice. Couldn't he have been arrested for stealing the horses?" Izzy said, deep in thought. "They could've made him pick up trash or something."

I couldn't help but smile at the puzzled look on Mag's face. Auggie looked up at me mirroring my smile. We both wanted to laugh, but there was a moment of heartbreak tightening Mag's features before he looked to my daughter once again. I'm sure that Mag and his mother Esmeralda had some regret fighting against their own people to save the Vikings from the never ending winter.

"I suppose Odin could have had him pick up trash but my friends were trying to stop Hrungnir from stealing any more horses. It was an accident," Mag said sparing my daughter from the truth. Later I found out Mag had told Izzy a little half lie. Hrungnir the frost giant really did accidently fall on Thor and Mag really did save his father from being trapped under the giant's foot. I could see it in the giant's eyes that he didn't want to lie to her but I could forgive him for sparing her the truth.

"Your modar is home little one," I heard Mag whisper to her. Izzy looked up from her place on Mag's lap with a smile on her face. Izzy looked like she wanted to tell me about her day which was so out of character for her. I guess having Mag pick her up from school was a special treat. One that I will probably not repeat since her teacher Ms. Simms spotted him and more than likely asked him out on a date. She was young enough and pretty enough but no one I could see Mag getting particularly close to. My giant friend needed someone special.


	45. Chapter 45

**Many thanks to my beta, treewitch703 and all the lovely readers out there in internet land!**

Wednesday came around and Eric had scheduled an employee meeting at the bar. He wanted me to dress 'bar appropriate', I chose to dress like a Catholic school girl from hell. I wasn't in the mood for the Elvira Mistress of the Dark getup so I decided on the pleated skirt with the safety pins. I added a black blouse unbuttoned enough to show off a silky red bra, ripped fishnet stockings, Doc Martens completed the outfit. I looked one step up from a hooker.

"Mom, what are you wearing?" Andy exclaimed as he stared at my costume.

"My work clothes," I said with evident disgust. "I have to dress sort of like a fangbanger since I'm going to be working in a bar full of vampires and vampire wannabes.

"You look like that weird Alice girl in my class who thinks she's a witch. You don't look right in pigtails either," Andy commented about the two curly red puffs of hair exploding from the top of my head. Wait till he gets a load of the blackish red lipstick in my purse. I decided to wait till I got to the bar to put on my makeup. I was going into fashion overload myself, let alone exposing the kids to it.

Mag would show up in place of Auggie to watch the kids. Seems Auggie and Esmeralda were going over the books and my gal Auggie decided that Mag would make a fair replacement. I didn't mind because it seemed the larger than life minor deity found his way to Izzy's good side. The doorbell rang; I looked out the peep hole only to see a very large torso clad in a black leather motorcycle jacket. Mag quickly ducked to the level of the peep hole and smiled. His hair was pulled loosely back with a few errant strands drifting freely from a black knit hat with blue and red stripes that echoed the ones on the sleeves of his motorcycle jacket. Boy did he get an eyeful once I opened the door. Mag has always seen me dress conservatively, I don't mean matronly, more like an ordinary mom. It didn't surprise me one bit to see those glorious blue eyes of his widen at the sight of my get up. He mumbled a few words in Old Norse before composing himself.

"Belinda it is so nice to see you again. Why are you dressed like a witch?" Mag asked. He obviously associated my garb with that of the three witches working at Karma's Backbone. I also noticed that he didn't greet me with his usual hug, instead he just gave me an questioning look from the other side of the door. "I don't like it. It's not you," Mag muttered as he ducked through the door.

"That makes the two of us," I mumbled back. Mag pulled off his hat cautiously, trying not to punch a hole in the ceiling and slipped off his jacket. I hung them in the coat closet near the front door. Mag had on his usual t-shirt and jeans but his silver Thor's hammer pendent caught my eye. That piece of jewelry suited Mag, and was probably older than dirt. Mag smiled tentatively.

"Why are you dressed like that if you don't like it either?" He asked me. "The Viking shouldn't expect his serving wenches to dress like that."

"This century we are called waitresses or servers. I am dressed like this so I don't have to live on the streets penniless. Eric is a vampire and I am working at a vampire themed bar. Modern vampires seem to like this kind of dress, so I have to dress to maintain the illusion. I don't normally dress like this, just for work. Sort of like you do with your apron and name tag," I did my best to explain.

"I am allowed to wear my own clothes. Maybe I should talk to Eric about this? This is not who you are Belinda," Mag cautioned. I hate to tell him this but at one time I did sort of dress like this and for less money. As far as having a talk with Eric, well I'm pretty sure Eric would listen to one of his many deities but I have a feeling he will just end up taking it out on me in the end. Not a good idea.

"I'm a big girl Mag. I can take care of myself. Unfortunately dressing like this is something I have to do for the time being. At least until bigger and better things come my way," I said and looked at my watch. I didn't have time to stand here and explain to Mag why I have to wear this ridiculous getup. "I can't stay and chat. I need to get to Fangtasia. If you have any problems Andy can help."

"I don't like her wearing crap like that either Mag. But Mom has always done what she has to do to make sure Izzy and I have what we need," Andy told the giant.

"What about that Celtic vampire? I don't like the way he looks at her," Mag asked my son. I throw my hands in the air with my car keys jiggling. I let out a tired sigh.

"Eric won't let Clancy touch Mom. He's told me so himself," Andy said and I smiled as I made my way to the front door. I was unaware of Mag following me. I jumped when I felt that familiar large hand on my shoulder. I turned around and looked up at the sweet face of a very gentle giant.

"Be safe Belinda," Mag said as he pulled me close and picked me up into his signature hug. I felt my friend's unconditional love in this one simple gesture. You haven't been hugged until you've been hugged by Magni Frost one of the legendary Norse minor gods. Eric would spit blood if he knew one of his deities was doing something as mundane as babysitting my kids. Oh well, it didn't seem like Mag minded. Especially when I saw that my daughter attacks his knees with hugs of her own.

I pulled into the parking lot of Fangtasia finding a spot in the mixed bag of cars, everything from luxury rides to the beat up old Buick in the spot next to mine. Dime on a dollar tells me that the more extravagant cars belonged to the vampires. I know the fancy red Corvette and the more practical Toyota Corolla belonged to two vampires in particular. I felt bad when I looked at the Buick that was one oil change away from being in the junkyard. Hanging from the rear view mirror was a cheap plastic mirror ball and some pink feathers with fuzzy white dice. The bumper appeared to be held on with baling wire. Yep, this car has seen better days. I hope to hell Eric is paying the other girls as well as he's paying me.

I walked into the bar with just enough time to put my face on. No problem with trying to look pale considering I am a shade away from being vampire-pale except for having to use concealer to hide the freckles on my cheeks and nose. That only gave me an even more vampiric look. I went for smoky eyes and black eyeliner despite the fact that my glasses will be obscuring my handiwork. I choose a blood red color to highlight my cheeks. Years as a stripper served me well when it came to putting on makeup in a hurry. I topped it all off with the inky red lipstick. Yep, Catholic school girl from hell, Miss Poppy Cherry would be proud.

My heart jumped as I swung out of the ladies room door, practically crashing into good old ginger boy himself, Clancy lingering and giving me a creepy stare. I knew I had to act impassive even though my first thought was to greet him with a junk punch! I hated the son of bitch! He was wearing a stupid ascot! Who the hell wears a stupid ascot other than Freddie Jones from those Scooby-Doo cartoons I used to watch as a kid? At least Freddie was easy on the eyes and had more dimension than this asshole!

"Hello Belinda," Clancy said with an even creepier smile. "You look devilish tonight. I'd say Eric will approve. If he doesn't, I definitely will," Clancy purred, trying to get me to look at him. I fumbled with my glasses as I purposely dropped them. He can't glamour if I can't see, my poor eyesight is my only defense against the fanged.

"My, you are a clumsy girl, aren't you?" Clancy said as he ran his fingers down my bare neck. It would never occur to him to act the gentleman and pick my glasses up off the floor and he obviously didn't know about the blind thing either. Stupid vampire! He did have every intention of fang raping me right there. I could barely make out the blur of his extended canines as he maintained that creepy smile. "It doesn't make any difference to me. I've always been fond of red heads, clumsy or not."

Damn I wanted to rack him in the balls! I hate this whole playing nice with the vampires even though some don't deserve it. I knew in my head there was really nothing I could do except just stand here and take it. If I moved even an inch, Clancy might kill me.

"Clancy! What the hell are doing with that breather! We're already running late! Eric wanted to get this meeting started a few minutes ago," I heard a familiar voice and recognized the blond blur as Pam.

"I just wanted a little taste," Clancy whined like a little kid. I could make out that Pam had her hands on her hips and was impatiently tapping her foot.

"Leave the bloodbag alone! We need to discuss business," Pam hissed out as I could feel her penetrating glare. At least I imagined that it was penetrating because my physical eyes couldn't see the broad side of a barn without my glasses. Clancy backed away and flashed on out of there at vampire speed. I sighed as I stooped down to pick up my glasses. "Well, we're all waiting on you," Pam said in a venomous tone. I had a feeling she was putting on as a show, or was she? I managed to get my bearings and followed her with my glasses securely on my nose.

I felt like the brains of the whole wait staff when I caught a glimpse of what I'd be working with. Ginger smiled and waved at me to come sit down next to her. She had on a tight black mini that was so short that the world could be her gynecologist. She seemed to barely notice that she was showing the room her skills with a razor because she obviously shaved more than her bikini area. I did my best not to look as I returned her smile and took the seat next to her. Eric might as well let her wear the electrical tape because the fishnet top wasn't much better. Pam seemed to like what she was seeing except for the fang marks the ditzy bleach blond sported on her neck. Those marks must not have belonged to Pam. I'm guessing Longshadow by the way he kept staring at her and licking his fangs. This only caused Ginger to giggle.

Oh, it only got better when I spied Clancy giving me the eye fuck for the millionth time. I don't know what's up with him and frankly I didn't really care. I felt like I was dressed for a convent compared to this lovely group. The vampires seemed to be the only ones that knew what clothes were. Not a one was wearing the Elvira getup but instead many creative forms of goth dress. Speaking of electrical tape, there was one young lady that sported the tape like a pair of pasties. I sure hope she can take pain because her nipples are going to hurt to high heaven once she removes it. I should know I hated wearing those stupid tasseled pasties in my stripper days. Yep, I was sure getting an eye full.

Eric went over the rules of the bar with us. The vampires didn't seem to like the no biting rule much. Clancy made a remark about liking it fresh from the tap. Longshadow was the only other vampire that laughed at Clancy's lame joke. Pam made us all stand in a row so that she could inspect us like cattle. She looked at each and every one of us like we were bonbons in a heart-shaped box. She went up to Ms. Electrical Tape and yanked the pasty from her right nipple leaving the girl to crying on the floor.

"You've got to be kidding me. Eric, where did you find this one? She obviously can't take the pain of working in a place like this," Pam said with a distasteful look.

"Clancy, get her out of here. I will not have weak humans working for me," Eric ordered the creepy Celt. Clancy licked his lips like a dog anticipating table scraps. I have a strong feeling that that's what that poor girl was, table scraps.

"I give any of you five seconds to leave if you cannot take the pain," Eric said from his perch at the bar. Longshadow poured him a blood from a fancy blue bottle which Eric quickly downed. Top shelf stuff from the look of it. Five more girls packed up and high tailed it on out of there. I wasn't going to be intimidated nor was I going to be Clancy's table scraps either.

After the weird audition process, Eric called me over. "For those of you remaining, this is Ms. Harrison your immediate supervisor. You will go through her if you wish to speak to me. She is my human eyes and ears. Ms. Ravenscroft is the vampire you answer to. She is my second in command. If Ms. Ravenscroft is not available, you will go to Clancy. Under no circumstance will you approach me unless I say so," Eric told the remaining girls who seemed enthralled by the sight of the Viking. Frankly, I wanted to puke at the way Eric was throwing his power around. Eric carried himself like a rooster in a hen house and each and every one of the remaining girls was eating it up with a spoon but I knew better.

"Belinda, I would like to see you in my office," Eric said and as much as it pained me, I answered in the only way I was supposed to.

"Yes Master," I said, holding back my disgust and adding a little curtsey. Eric smirked slightly and got up from his bar stool. I followed him like a loyal puppy. Jesus Christ I hated acting this way.

"Close the door behind you," Eric said as he took his place behind his dark wood desk. It was nothing special. There wasn't even a computer, just a blotter with a very large ledger book. I almost expected to see a quill and inkwell. The knickknacks were scarce and the wall was painted a blood red to compliment the dark woodwork of the desk. "Won't you sit down," he said as he motioned to the black couch. "Isn't there some sort of tribute you are supposed to give me? It's quite alright, this room is soundproof even to vampire hearing," he added, still trying to maintain his cocky manner. I reached for my black patent leather purse. Much like Eric's office, it too was lined in red. I pulled out a folded piece of drawing paper that melted the cocky look off Eric's face and replaced with a genuine smile. I also pulled out another sheet of plain white paper. This was a note from Izzy's teacher praising her on how well she'd done. I thought Eric would like to see it.

"The school said that if she keeps up with the way she's going she might be able to attend public school next year. They couldn't believe the way she was acting after coming back from Thanksgiving break. I guess I have you to thank for that," I tell Eric as I watched him read the note.

"Do you think Pam would like it if I had this framed and hung it above my desk?" Eric asked as he held up the crayon drawing of a sick figure vampire holding the hand of a stick figure little girl. I couldn't help but smile as I shook my head. "I suppose not either," Eric playfully responded.

"Maybe you can hang it in your bat cave or something?" I said and Eric smiled.

"Bat cave? I like your way of thinking Belinda," Eric responded with his fangs playfully glinting. I couldn't help but laugh as I had a pleasant conversation with my boss about my kids. The girls in the bar outside could only speculate what kind of stuff Eric and I were doing in his office. I decided that if there were any rumors started about me and him, I could definitely have my fun with it. Eric had agreed to keep me off limits since I was going to start seeing the local hunter regularly but that didn't mean if I cut my finger accidentally I wasn't going to allow him a little taste. Seems vampire saliva is the best first aid for cuts we have around here.

After my time in Eric's office and the many glares I got from my co-workers, I decided it was time to go home. Eric had dismissed me for the night but Pam wanted to have a chat with the others. Probably just to decide which one would be just the right flavor or just glamour the bejesus out of them. I wondered if vampires choose people like we choose a bottle of fine wine. I decided I shouldn't be thinking this way as I made my way out the black vinyl padded door.

Once home, I could still hear the television going. I walked into the living room to find Mag passed out on the couch and some lame infomercial flickering on the television screen. Something about spray paint for male pattern baldness, which I just flipped off. The giant sleeping on my couch is a snorer. I couldn't help but smile at him, lying there on his back with his long, long legs hanging over the end of the couch and his hands on his stomach. He'd ditched his humongous boots and lined them neatly up in the corner. I choked back my laugh when I saw his mismatched socks, one black and the other a bright blue. Guess even minor gods aren't perfect.

Mag looked peaceful as he slept. I went to the built in cabinet where Izzy kept her games and I stashed a few blankets. I pulled out a pretty red quilt. I laid it over as much of Mag as I could. I stood back for a moment curious about his ears. Mag could mostly pass for human, except for his stature and those unusual ears. The stature thing wasn't as big of a deal as the elven ears that he usually kept hidden. I couldn't resist the urge to touch one of them

I lightly touched the edge of his ear and ran my finger to the tip. Mag stirred a bit at first but then his lips curled up and he laughed sleepily. I jumped back. He didn't open his eyes right away but instead tried to settle back into his sleep. He must've thought he was brushing at a fly or something. I touched the tip of the slight point and Mag laughed again. Damn, I found the giant's ticklish spot. This time Mag's eyes fluttered open. He yawned and smiled lazily.

"You're home," he said with a yawn.

"I didn't mean to wake you. Were the kids good for you?"

"They were perfect. Andrew finished his homework just so he could help me but Isabelle was no trouble. She is a clever little girl," Mag told me as he yawned again.

"Good, you can stay if you want. You look like you're comfortable," I said.

"Aunt Astir told me to let you know that she won't be able to come tomorrow. She gave me the day off so that I could take her place. She is very sorry, but she is still helping Mother sort out the books. Mother wants to go to Ohio this year to celebrate the winter solstice with Uncle Vafthrudnir. She wants to make sure the books are pretty up to date before taxes are due," Mag explained.

"There's a bigfoot in Ohio?" was all I could say. Every story I've heard about the legendary creatures had them living in the mountains of Washington state, not the plains of Ohio. Auggie had told me that the frost giants disguise themselves as large hairy apelike creatures to hide that giants are real.

"He goes by the Grassman. Parents tell their children to behave or the Grassman will come for them. Uncle V was never one to play by the rules. He lives near a populated area and has been spotted more times than the other Jotunn would like," he said and let out another yawn.

"As much as I would like to hear about your Uncle V, I need my rest if I'm to get the kids to school in the morning. It looks like Izzy wore you out," I said as I brushed stray hairs from his eyes. I didn't want to put Mag in the position of hauling my kids to and from school again. Not that he isn't capable it's just that I don't think the world is ready for the sweet and gentle giant known as Magni Frost.

"Goodnight Belinda," Mag said, giving me that sleepy smile again.

"Goodnight Mag," I said and kissed his forehead before retiring to my own bed.

**Yes Virginia, there is a Grassman and he really does live in Ohio! Just google it!**


	46. Chapter 46

**Hello all! I decided to an all Mag chapter. He's a fun character to write. I was wondering who people think of when they picture Mag? My picture of him is Danish actor Mads Mikkelson. Anywho, I want to thank treewitch703 for being the most awesome beta in the whole wide world and my readers that keep me going! Thanks everyone!**

It's no wonder Mag was worried about saving money, he'd eaten a half dozen eggs, half a box of cereal and six pieces of bacon. Boy, that giant could pack it in. I guess when you're as large as Mag, you need a lot of food. He smiled at me from his perch on the stool in the corner of the kitchen. His raven hair was tied back, just a few lazy strands drifting down. A weeks worth of stubble peppered his chin and those thoughtful aquamarine eyes looked straight at me. Mag playfully wiggled his exposed ears causing Izzy to laugh.

"Boy, Mag, you eat more than Andy," Izzy, the observant, giggled.

"I'm a growing boy," Mag joked as he clutched his bowl of cereal protectively. Instead of using a regular bowl, Mag had one of my mixing bowls. I smiled when I thought about Mag's large hands cupping a regular bowl. Come to think of it, the mixing bowl was perfect for Mag.

"Eat your breakfast. I need to get you guys off to school," I tell Izzy and Andy. Never one for cereal, Andy just quietly wolfed down his bacon and eggs. .

"Can Mag come?" Izzy asked.

Izzy pouted when Andy said he didn't think Mag could fit in my car. Mag put down his bowl and spoon on the counter and rose to his feet.

"I can barely fit into your house little one," Mag said as he flattened his hand against the ceiling. "What makes you think I can fit in your Mother's small car?"

"But you drove the truck," Izzy reasoned.

"Yes I did but I don't think it would be smart to drive the truck into the drop off lanes. Parents will be angry because the other children will have farther to walk," Mag tells her. I didn't like having Andy ride the bus because of the situation with T-Bone, that and I like spending as much time as possible with my kids.

"Is this because Ms. Simms likes you?" Izzy asked and Andy nearly choked on his milk. I pressed my lips together to hold back a smile when Mag's eyes widened. Sometimes I think the supes forget that Izzy knows more than most.

"Now sweetheart, just finish your breakfast so as we're not late," I said, changing the subject. Izzy moped a bit. Sure beats Izzy's usual fits. I heard Mag sigh with relief before he went back to spoon the last of the cereal from his mixing bowl. I guess he wasn't in the mood to explain himself to a five year old girl. I'm not even sure Izzy would understand the demigod's position.

I had made myself a pot of coffee. As I poured my usual cup I realized it was getting late. The coffee scalded my mouth when I tried to take a sip but it wasn't until I was blocked by a large hand seizing my cup did I realize how hot it had been.

"Allow me," Mag said as he cradled the absurdly small cup in his huge hand. He only held it for a moment before passing it back to me. I picked up the mug and noticed that it wasn't as hot as before. I took a sip without burning my tongue off. I went over to where Mag was perched on the stool and pecked his cheek with a kiss.

"You're going to make some girl very lucky one of these days Magni Frost. Just for that I wouldn't be against marrying you," I said with a wink, grateful to have my morning cup of joe before taking the kids to school. Mag gave me a playful grin.

"Remy wouldn't like that. I don't think I can take my new friend's woman away," Mag said in return. "Besides I'm a little old for you. Not to mention that I can also be a little cold in bed. Most women don't like that."

I laughed and finished my coffee while the kids were getting their things ready. It's nice to know that behind all his innocence, Mag knew the art of word play . He did call me Remy's woman which I know had nothing to do with his ironic undertone. Mag was being honest about that part, not that I minded.

When I walked back into the house after dropping the kids off I was surprised to see that the place was spotless. Magni Frost domestic demigod smiled at me as he fluffed the pillows on the couch. Maybe I should marry him if this is how he treats a girl? Naw, I'm too hung up on Remy besides Mag made a better friend than a lover.

"I thought I would clean up since you had to leave with the children," Mag said as he sat down on the couch. He then handed me an envelope. " Bobby Burnham dropped this off. He told me it was for you and dashed right back to his car. He should learn to drive better. I had to fix the gravel," Mag grumbled. Seemed as though that weasel Bobby Burnham was intimidated by my house guest. I smiled at the thought of his fancy little car peeling out of my drive, terrorized by my gigantic friend. I couldn't stand that little prick anyway!

Eric had written my name on the lush envelope. I had to get used to getting this fancy correspondence if I was to be working for him. I could tell that it held more than just a note. My suspicions were borne out when I uncovered a nice stack of twenties. I still had most of the last wad he gave me. I pulled out the ornately inscribed card.

Merry Christmas Belinda!

I'm not a Christian, but I have been told quite a few humans like to celebrate the yuletide season. I have also been advised that I should give all my people a Christmas bonus. Since that precludes your usual bonus, I have enclosed two-thousand dollars for you to do with what you will. Buy some gifts for your children and do that Father Christmas thing that children seem to like so much.

-E-

Merry Christmas indeed! I wouldn't have minded the other 'bonus' so much if I didn't have a date with Remy Friday night. I have never been able to give Izzy a proper Christmas before. I didn't know if Andy remembered the Christmases with Harry. We used to put up a tree and Harry would dress up as Santa. Andy always saw through the costume but after a while just played along. Those were good days but this will be even better.

Tears prickled my eyelids at the hope for better Christmases to come. Mag stood up and as if he could read my mind he pulled me into his arms. I slipped my arms around his neck when he bent down so I could reach. I smelled a wintery breeze coming from him and felt his large hand at the back of my head. This wasn't the usual happy Mag hug but instead the comforting kind.

"Why the tears?" Mag asked as he put his finger under my chin and tilted my face up so that I could see the concern in his eyes. I couldn't answer him but instead handed him the small white card. Mag took it and read it. "This is nothing to be upset about. The Viking is giving you a gift. He wants the children to have a happy Jul."

"What is Jul?" I asked the kind giant.

"It's much like your Christmas. In Scandinavia the children would leave their shoes outside the doors of their homes and fill them with oats and hay. Grandfather took his Wild Ride on the same night each year and whatever child left his horses a treat, Grandfather would reward them in return. I believe this is how your modern day Santa Claus came about. Jul is celebrated for twelve nights instead of one. It was the Germanic people who started bringing trees indoors," Mag said as he looked solemnly at me while recounting a Norse history lesson.

"When I was a child, Grandfather would let Modi and me come along. Grandfather would let us fill the shoes. It was quite fun. Modi loved Jul. Sometimes Mother would come to the celebrations even though the people of Asgard never liked her much," Mag said as he remembered a time long gone.

"Nobody ever likes a black sheep. My Aunt Liz hated it when mom would show up at family gatherings. Probably because mom often made a drunken ass of herself. I guess immortals aren't much different," I said and Mag added a somber smile. He understood what being a misfit was all about.

"I am taking you shopping," Mag happily announced. "I have always been curious about Toys R Us."

"Hold it there, big guy, you sure you want to do this? You aren't exactly average looking," I said to my very tall and very handsome friend. I wasn't even sure Esmeralda wanted her boy out there in the big wide world. Plus I felt protective of Mag myself.

"I will be alright. Remy took me to the auto parts store and I had no problem except the guys at the store asked me if I was a basketball player. I think it's a modern sport, I'm not quite sure. Harvey and Jareth weren't much help when I asked them. They said they'd rather watch soccer. Mother muttered something about stereotypes when I asked her. Carrie said she likes a sport called football. Something about tight pants the…" Mag rattled on but I stopped him. I wanted to laugh but Mag seemed beside himself. "Do you know what basketball is Belinda?" Mag finally asked.

"I'll tell you on the way to Toys R Us. It's near Fangtasia. Just let me tuck this money in my purse," I said, trying to hold back my smile as I reached up and patted his cheek. Poor confused giant. I can't help but take him under my wing. Mag shared part of himself with me when I was down. That might have been the start of my protective, sisterly feelings for the big lug.

"So this is a basketball and that thing is the hoop," Mag said as we stood in the middle of Toys R Us looking at a sports display. "I don't get it. Mortals have too much time on their hands these days. We never had time for leisure activities except maybe in the winter. So they were asking me that because I'm tall? I'm not tall at all," Mag said as a woman with a toddler seated in her shopping cart passed us. The curly haired little boy smiled up at Mag and Mag smiled back. He looked to be no more than three while his mother hiked up her bra and played with her bleached blond hair. She gave me a dirty look when she spied me motioning Mag to stoop down so that I might whisper in his ear.

"To the giants you may not be tall but to us humans you are extremely tall. You need to use discretion when you start talking about mortals. People are blind to the supernatural these days and for your safety it's best to keep it that way. You get what I'm saying?" I whispered into his ear. Mag nodded agreeably.

Mag took my hand when he saw a display for RC cars. I could barely keep up with his lengthy steps. One of the store employees was demonstrating the latest remote control vehicle. Mag had developed a fascination for modern transportation, something the rest of us take for granted. Mag watched, entranced as the car zipped around.

"Look at the miniature car Belinda!" Mag exclaimed in his excitement. The shaggy twenty-something guy glanced up from the remote at the brobdingnagian man grinning at the battery-powered toy. The clerk wanted to stop and stare at the imposing figure but thought better of it. Guess it's not every day you see a guy as tall as the shelves. The small car nearly collided with a customer.

"W-Would you like to try sir?" the guy in the blue Toys R Us polo asked. He looked competent enough to peddle playthings and play air guitar but he wasn't too comfortable with playful giants.

"You don't mind?" Mag asked gently. The guy seemed stunned by Mag's politeness and nodded, unsure of what to make of the giant with a thick Scandinavian accent. Toys R Us guy handed Mag the remote and explained to him how to work it. Mag hunched into himself a bit so the young guy wouldn't be so overwhelmed. In what little interaction I've seen Mag have with people, I noticed he tried to be less intimidating. He had done that at the Backbone when dealing with the customers but around me and Remy he never bothered. Maybe it was because he didn't feel the need to hide who he was around us.

Mag listened, keeping his eyes on the little car, as he deftly pushed the levers. I saw Mitchell embossed on the worker's name tag. The remote looked absurdly small in Mag's hands but like everything else, Mag proved his dexterity. He looked over at me with a smile before returning his attention to the car and remote. I was going to get him a pair of socks or some nice pipe tobacco but that just changed as I put the RC car box in the shopping cart. I'll just tell him it's for Andy if he asks. Along with the video game that really is for Andy and the two new dolls for Izzy. I hope she likes them considering neither of them are Viking themed. It's not like you can buy Viking stuff anywhere, well maybe Ikea. I felt bad having to pull Mag away from his fun but we had to finish shopping before the kids were let out of school.

"Can we go back again sometime?" Mag asked. "Mitchell seemed very helpful. He showed me boats and helicopters too. That little car was fun but I'd like to try a boat."

"Maybe after Christmas and the kids can come too," I said with a laugh. Mag helped me with the bags. I had the cashier triple bag the box with the car in it while he was distracted by the demo. I couldn't wait to see the look on his face when he opened it.

The mall proved to be interesting. One store we went into had cardboard snowflakes hanging from the dropped ceiling and poor Mag was either batting the snowflakes out of his way or ducking to avoid them as they swung back. To top that off, the sales girl who was wearing dangerously low cut jeans kept bending over to try her best to catch Mag's eyes. You'd think there would be a dress code for working at a child's clothing store. Hate to tell her this but her efforts were futile . When Mag wasn't fighting with cardboard snowflakes, he was helping pick out some clothes for Izzy. I looked up at Mag as we were leaving that store to see that the cardboard snowflakes dusted him with glitter. I bit my lip as I smiled. He must've known what I was looking at because he gave me a goofy grin that freed the laugh I had been holding back.

We passed a store window filled with sparkles that caught my eye. A beautiful crystal snowflake ornament graced the display. The ornament was meant to be hung on a tree but I had a better idea.

"Mag, does your Mom wear necklaces?" I asked my giant companion.

"There's that Thor's hammer necklace Father gave her. She only wears it when she is on speaking terms with him. I think she still has her gypsy jewelry from the sideshow," Mag explained as he bent down to look at the ornament.

"What do you think?" I asked as Mag studied the etched crystal snowflake. "I was thinking a dark blue silk cord . The size looks about right."

Mag just stood there watching the prisms bouncing off the beautiful snowflake. I swear that an ice crystal tumbled down his cheek. Mag appeared to be deep in thought. His aquamarine gaze reflected the many thousands of years he'd lived. The giant seemed remote for a moment. Quite a few shoppers stared as they passed us by. I reached out and took his hand. "Mag?" I finally said his name. The world around us seemed to be going in slo-mo.

"It's perfect. No mortal has ever given Mother a thoughtful gift before. She will treasure it," Mag choked out.

"That's all I need to know," I said as I squeezed Mag's hand while leading him into the shop.

Talk about a bull in a china shop! Poor Mag looked ridiculously huge in the small art glass store. I wanted to make my purchase quickly and get my friend out of that store before the two sales ladies and the elderly woman that was eye fucking him went in for the kill. The store manager rang me up and shook his head at the behavior of his foolish employees. The elderly customer made a smooth move by 'accidentally' dropping one of her shopping bags. Of course Mag being Mag, he helped the woman. I held my breath as I watched Mag maneuver in the cramped space. He managed without shattering anything. The gray haired granny smiled with which Mag returned in kind.

"I can't believe how clumsy I am. Thank you," she said, giving Mag a lascivious wink. Oh brother, even the old ladies have a thing for Mag.

"I am glad I can help," Mag said, unaware that granny there would like to screw him six ways to Sunday. Hell, it wouldn't surprise me that after that she would want an encore on the church pews. Disappointment melted into the woman's features and the two sales girls as well when they saw tall n' hot returned his attention to me. For show, I took his hand as we walked out of the store.

Our next stop was Dillard's where we passed through the women's section on the way to the junior's department. I wanted to find Auggie some really cool winter accessories. A really pretty shirt caught my eye on one of the racks. It wasn't anything fancy, just a nice casual tunic. It had a very pretty understated blue flower print. Mag noticed that I was looking straight at it.

"That would be perfect for your date with Remy," Mag said in a cheerful tone. I looked up at him as we were standing side by side. I barely stood as high as Mag's chest, so I had to crane my neck a bit. Sad part was my boots even had a one and half inch heel.

"I'm here to shop for Christmas presents, not for myself," I responded.

"At least try it on Belinda," Mag said as I looked at the price tag. Way more than I was willing to spend on an article of clothing but it was pretty. "It matches your eyes," Mag then said, flashing me that lovely smile of his. I looked at my watch not only to check the time, but also fishing for an excuse to get moving.

"I need to buy something for Auggie and the kids will be out of school in an hour," I said with a sigh.

"Enough time for you to try it on," Mag said, giving me a look. How could I resist his puppy dog eyes? I couldn't, so I just grabbed a medium off the rack and headed for the dressing room with an exasperated huff.

The top fit me perfectly. I never had anything that required dry cleaning before and I probably never will. I had to placate the giant, he had been patient with me all day. Remy would definitely like it. Perfect for pit barbeque or a clam bake, the types of places I can see Remy taking me. Remy wasn't the fancy sort. Hell I could even wear it to a dive and still look like I'd fit in.

Mag was stuffing one shopping bag into another when I came out. He gave me a smile as he looked up from what he was doing. The poor guy was so loaded down with shopping bags he probably had to rearrange them so he was comfortable. It's a good thing his name means strength.

"You look lovely," Mag said as I caught his eye.

"Satisfied?" I asked. I noticed a few women gravitating towards my shopping buddy. One of the women eyed the shopping rack so she didn't look so obvious. Please!

"Yes, very," Mag responded and all the ladies stared daggers at me. Hate to tell them this but none of them are good enough for Mag, especially Mrs. Wedding Band standing there over by the rack. I went back into the dressing room and hurriedly changed back into my sweater. I put the tunic back on the hanger and out the door I went.

"Please, I'm much more your type…." Mag stopped the woman before she could finish and took my hand as soon as I put the shirt back on the rack.

"Come on, we need to shop for Aunt Astir," Mag said quietly as I had to practically sprint to keep up with him. Seemed as though a certain giant was getting sick of all the attention. Can't say as I half blamed him.

"I'll make it quick," I said as I patted his hand. "Why the sudden hurry?"

"Those women were speaking ill of you. They don't know you. I don't like venomous tongues," Mag said as his already thick Scandinavian accent became almost unintelligible. Mag was fuming; I reached up and touched his cheek.

"Calm down big guy. I see you have some of your father's temper. Let them say what they want about me, I don't care. You ever heard the saying karma's a bitch?" I asked him as I felt the chill of his flesh. Mag's skin felt like he was standing in the middle of Alaska instead of inside Dillard's department store. He nodded as he looked down at me.

"That is Mother's favorite modern saying. That's how the store got its name," Mag said as I felt the temperature of his skin moderate.

"I don't let what others say get to me because they'll get theirs. They always do. It isn't right they say those hateful things but I can't stop them from airing their opinions, no matter how bad. Getting all angry about doesn't benefit anyone either," I advised and removed my hand from his cheek.

"You sound like Mother," Mag said, smiling.

"I'll take that as a compliment," I said, returning that smile. "Now let's find Auggie something."

Auggie was at the house when Mag and I made it back home. She offered to get the kids which was cool because it gave me time to hide the loot. I was sorting through one of the shopping bags when I came across a Dillard's bag. I thought it might be the arm warmers and fingerless gloves I'd gotten for Auggie. When I peeked inside, lo and behold, the pretty flower print tunic in a size medium. I pulled out the receipt and there was a note on the back.

You were too busy making everybody happy. I thought I would do the same for you. Remy will really like this on you. I called Aunt Astir to get your size.

Your good friend,

Magni

Cheese and rice! That giant pulled a fast one on me! Now I owe him a smorgasbord. It's a good thing I like to cook because Magni Frost is getting a smorgasbord to end all smorgasbords. I'll have to ask Auggie if Mag has ever tried Cajun. Then again, maybe it would be easier to take him out. I know of a little shack that serves the best gumbo and jambalaya around... I know the owner real well.


	47. Chapter 47

**I want to thank my beta treewitch703 for keeping me in line and all the lovely readers and writers out there!**

Oh sweet Jesus! It's date night but you'd think it was my high school prom from the way Auggie and Mag were acting. Auggie made it a point to tell me that if Esmeralda could fit comfortably in my house without having to pretzel herself, she would have come too. Bless Eric for giving me a ordinary house without cathedral ceilings. I didn't need a frost giantess fussing over me. I was still sort of mad at the giant waiting impatiently outside my bedroom door. He'd pulled a fast one on me by paying for the shirt I'd be wearing tonight. Lordy, I feel like goddamn Cinderella except instead of mice I had a giant and a half elf playing the part of the fairy godmother. Well I guess if you combine Auggie and Mag's lineage you would have most of the ingredients for a fairy.

"Oh B, you look absolutely stunning. I just hope your hunter don't go in for the kill too soon," Auggie teased. I had been patiently sitting at the vanity while she worked her magic on me. I had never had straight hair before and to my surprise Auggie'd pulled it off. Her impish reflection winked at me as she showed me her handiwork.

"Not bad," was all I could say.

"Let me in so that I can see," I heard Mag urge from the other side of the door. I thought he was going plow right through Auggie when she turned the knob, but Mag froze at the sight of the new and improved Belinda. I know Mag has seen prettier. I blushed like a five alarm fire at his surprise.

"Doesn't B look gorgeous," Auggie commented to her oversize nephew.

"Very," was all he could say as Mag kept his eyes on me. Sometimes I wonder what's going on in that big noggin of his. Mag's a sweet and gentle soul that hasn't so much as had a steady girlfriend let alone a wife in the thousands of years he has lived. I don't think his looks are the problem. Maybe it's because he is as big as an ox? Or the fact that the most common response to him is lust? I know I had been guilty of that but with time Mag has grown to be more of a brother/best friend. "I almost wish that I was the one taking you out," Mag grumbled under his breath as he managed a rueful smile.

"I'll take that as a compliment," I said as I stood up. Mag took in the whole look. My favorite pair of dark washed boot cut jeans with my favorite pair of boots.

"You're missing something," Mag said as he reached into his pocket. "For luck," he said as he held up his silver Thor's hammer pendant I have always admired. "I know it is more customary for your man to give you jewelry and I know that is not my role but I hope you accept this as my friend. It has brought me victory in many battles just as I hope it brings you victory in your struggle to make a life for yourself and your kids," Mag then said, looking down at me solemnly.

"Oh Mag, I don't know if I can accept this. What if you meet a nice girl? Wouldn't you want to share it with her?" I cautioned as I took his hand in mine. Sorrow filled his eyes despite his smile. Poor Mag has spent nearly an eternity alone. I didn't want to hurt his feelings by turning his gift away so I compromised. "Tell you what. I'll take this as a loaner. It might not bring me the same luck it has brought you. I'll wear it tonight and then I'll let you know how it works out," I said as I reached up and patted his cheek. This only caused Mag's smile to widen. I lifted my hair away from my neck as I turned around to let Mag fasten the pendant. It lay close to my breast and actually sort of went with my pretty new shirt. I turned around and gave Mag a smile. I stood on my tiptoes as he leaned down to let me kiss his cheek. At times Mag reminded me of a big gentle pony, I had to resist the urge to rub his nose or scratch behind those elven ears.

Remy pulled up around six. Izzy's energy bubbled as she jumped around the living room while Andy answered the door. Mag scooped up the little jumping bean which seemed to calm Izzy down. All the supes in our lives seem to have a way with Izzy; perhaps something about their 'magic' is able to reset Izzy into the little girl she was meant to have been. I watched as she snuggled into Mag's secure grip.

"Hello Andy, I'm sure you remember me" Remy's slow Cajun accent carried Louisianan warmth even in December.

"Yeah I remember you. You're Remy. Come on in, I think Mom is ready," Andy said and stepped aside. Remy sauntered in wearing jeans that made my heart pound plus a blue paid cowboy shirt under his signature leather duster. Weathered cowboy boots and a silver belt buckle completed the hot cowboy look. Remy evoked every woman's cowboy fantasy with his tousled hair and stubbly chin. It didn't surprise me to see that those brown cowboy boots had silver tips on the toes. Just like any good boy scout, Remy was always prepared. I bet that wasn't the only protection he brought. Mmmmm.

Remy smiled as soon as I caught his eye. He held out a bouquet of daisies wrapped in green tissue paper, secured with a red bow. I've said it once and I'll say it again, that man is going to be the death of me.

"You look beautiful, 'Lindy," Remy said; as he approached me his wild smell filled my senses. "Although I should be jealous," he whispered to me as he stood temptingly close.

"Of what?" I said tartly which only made Remy dial up the heat on his smile.

"I hear the giant took you shopping," Remy whispered, shivering my spine. Mag looked pleased with himself. He must have good hearing. Remy eyed the Thor's hammer that guarded my cleavage.

"If you must know, he was my bodyguard while I went Christmas shopping. He bought me this top because he thought it matched my eyes - and you would like it. The Thor's hammer's for luck," I whispered right back at my hunter.

"Darling' you don't need any extra luck. Not tonight," Remy whispered back with a smile. "Did he pick your boots too?" Remy murmured. I was so enjoying this little game.

"No, I am perfectly capable of doing that myself sweetheart" trying for a sexy glance. He's here to babysit the kids for me."

"If that's all he's here for. Besides, I think I'm out of my weight class, here," Remy whispered.

"Oh, I don't know. He's without his good luck charm," I said aloud. Remy rumbled with laughter.

"Don't be too late, you two, even though the couch is quite comfortable," Mag said, glancing at us.

"So he's stayed the night too. Guess I have my work cut out for me. I don't know if I can compete." Remy said, winking.

"Mmmhmm, guess I'll have to find out then."

We said our good-byes to Mag, Auggie, and the kids. Izzy never reacted to Remy like she did Alcide. She accepted him, I don't know if it has to do with the fact that he's Daddy Joe's kin or that my daughter is smitten with the sexy as hell hunter too. If it's the later, all I can say is the girl's got good taste.

"I'm taking you to a friend of mine's place. Ever been to Bon Temps?" Remy asked me as he held open the car door. Remy had decided to take Daddy Joe's Plymouth Fury tonight. I had never ridden in it before so this was all new to me.

"I've driven passed," I told him as he entered the driver's side. "Not much to see."

"Well this place isn't really much either but for bar food it's quite good. There's no dance floor, though, he's not big on dancing," he said as he started up the engine.

"I'm not much in the mood for dancing tonight. I just want to enjoy the company," I said and Remy grinned at me.

"I got some business there too if you don't mind. It won't take long, I promise."

"Just as long as I get you for most of the night. I have a mind to enjoy my night out," I said and Remy laughed.

"I promise darlin'," he said as he took my hand and kissed it.

"I can't help but think that this had something to do with T-Bone DeMarcus," I ventured.

"Just a few questions. I'm sure the Were is right about that bastard being out of state but we can't be too careful. I don't expect my buddy has any more info but it's worth a shot. I planned on taking you there anyway," Remy explain. "It is a good place for people watching."

"You're a man after my own heart. My two favorite things,eating and people watching."

"I like a girl with a healthy appetite. Shows she's up for anything," Remy said with that bad boy smile. God that smile made me want to melt into a puddle of goo. He reached over and put his hand on my jeans clad knee as he went driving down the interstate. I'm pretty sure if he wasn't so busy driving that old car, the hand would've been somewhere else, not that I would've minded.

Shortly we were pulling into the parking lot of a bar out in the middle of nowhere. The buzzing green neon sign let us know that we had just pulled into Merlotte's Bar and Grille. It looked like my kind of place, a simple backwater bar, nothing fancy. Remy came around to hold the door for me. God, I've never really been out on a date with a gentleman before. Even Harry wouldn't do such a thing... a girl could get used to this.

Remy's hand on the small of my back guided me into the bar and I couldn't believe how welcoming it felt, except for getting caromed into by a red-headed waitress. Then I heard someone yell, "Arlene!"

I looked over to see a pleasant looking bartender. Average in build but with the prettiest Paul Newman blue eyes I've ever seen. He gave Ms. Red Rude a cross look before catching the attention of my date. They both shared a nod before the Paul Newman eyes crinkled in welcome, "Remy! You son of a bitch! Where have you been hiding!"

"The usual places, Sam Merlotte," Remy responded casually. "Thought I'd bring my girl here; Belinda, this is Sam Merlotte, a friend of mine."

"Belinda," Sam acknowledged me and offered me his hand. His body temperature felt unusually warm, must be some sort of shape shifter or were. Later I'd find out how right I was.

"Great place you have here," I said as I nodded towards the taxidermy decking the walls. He added a smile that was even prettier than his eyes. Sam Merlotte was a shaggy sort of guy with a kind face. I could easily see the drunks coming in here and telling him their life stories. In fact there was a big woman at the end of the bar smiling blearily at Sam, well on her way to passing out.

"Jesus Christ, Jane Bodehouse! Lafayette! Call Jane's son! She's passed out again!" Sam yelled at the hatch which showcased a very flamboyant African-American man flipping burgers and cooling himself with a lace fan.

"I can't believe you let 'dat lush in here," RuPaul shot right back.

"Just do as I say," Sam told the burgers flipping diva. "Don't forget that I sign your paycheck."

"I'm on it. Sookie is better at handling 'dis shit than I am. Why'd you let her have the night off on a busy weekend?" flamboyant fry cook added his last two cents before picking up the old rotary dial phone.

Remy and I went to find a place to sit while Sam was taking care of the minor crisis. Lo and behold we had the misfortune to sit in the rude redhead's section. Well, she's not really a redhead because that shade can't possibly be found in nature. She also was a bit long in the tooth to carry the look, who's she trying to kid? She reminded me of Peg Bundy from that old show Married with Children.

"Can I take your order Remy?" she said batting her eyelashes at my date and making sure he can see her thoroughly uplifted titties. Hell's bells, I hope Remy has the sense not to give her too much of a tip. Yeah, I'm one of those people who believes in giving the waitress a tip no matter how crappy the service. Those poor people don't make much to begin with, I should know. At least I wasn't making much until I got the job at Fangtasia. This attempt at sexy probably had a couple of mouths to feed at home and just like me, they probably came from two different daddies too. Was this a case of the pot calling the kettle black?

"Well Arlene, I'd like to let my lady order first if she's ready," Remy said as he busied himself with looking at the menu. I smiled, reminding myself to be more charitable, as I caught a glimpse of her rolling her eyes as she annoyingly tapped her pen on her order pad. She composed herself before turning to me and flashing her commercial smile.

"Are you ready to order?" I put my menu down and looked up at her to give her my order with dignity and poise. I actually felt sorry for this woman. I could see Remy sitting across from me with a proud look in his eyes. He politely gave Ms. Rude his order after I was finished giving mine.

The burgers were amazing. I ordered fries instead of my usual favorite, onion rings because I know there's going to be a kiss from that sexy beast at some point. Remy asked if I was in the mood for a chocolate milkshake and I was. He ordered a large shake. I decided it was too lonely on my side of the booth and went over to Remy's side. He slid his arm around me as I got comfortable. The face on Ms. Red Rude was sour with hurt as she deposited the milkshake and straws in front of us. I decided maybe Remy should give her a decent tip since she had to cross off another potential, suck..., suitor off of her list. I hope she finds her happiness even though she has been rude to me. Although she was actually very good at her job; I'll give her credit for that.

There was no shy Lady and the Tramp moment when I accidentally got some of the shake on my chin. Remy didn't hesitate to swipe it off with his finger, and added a lusty glance as he licked it off. I was enjoying the milkshake way too much as our foreheads touched and Remy handed me my straw as he took his with a devilish smile. He winked as we lost ourselves in each other and quietly finished off the tasty treat.

"I sure am having a nice time 'Lindy but I'm still jealous Mag beat me to the punch on taking you out," Remy grumbled.

"What are you going to do? Kick his ass?" I chuckled, which caused Remy to laugh through the rest of his share of the milkshake.

"No but you sure care about him though," Remy responded.

"He's a friend of mine, besides a guy like Mag deserves someone more in his league, not someone who's been rode as hard as I have"

""Lindy, you're not damaged goods darling. You just went down a harder road than most. You're an amazing woman with great kids," Remy said as he took my hand and kissed it. I stared intently at Remy and wondered how the hell I got so lucky. Alcide gave me one night of pleasure that has followed me for the past ten years. Harry was great for an average kind of guy who actually might've been psychic. Eric is a decent boss that knows how to hand out one hell of a 'bonus' but Remy was different. I felt the most comfort I had in my entire life whenever Remy was near. He actually felt right.

Oh I had my doubts because who the hell would want a scrawny nearsighted ginger like me? I wasn't what you'd call ravishing. Truth be told, I felt just a tad odd being with somebody like Remy. I wasn't tall and curvy or blessed with peaches and cream skin or even shiny flowing hair. My hair was a little on the frizzy side. More like a lot on the frizzy side. My skin is splashed with freckles and as far as the boobs and butt, well let's just say thank God someone had the sense to invent the push up bra. The one thing I do pride myself on is my smile. I've always been told I have a pretty smile.

Remy on the other hand wasn't what you'd call buff but he did have muscle and in all the right places. Remy's slender build was built for stealth just like his Daddy. Remy was tall but not so much as Alcide or Eric but he wasn't as short as, say, that Sam Merlotte who was motioning to Remy right then. Remy crooked me a smile which accentuated the scar on his face, his only real physical flaw that I could see other than the scars on his forearms. I thought it made him look all the more yummy.

"I need to go see Sam. You going to be alright on your own for a bit sweetheart?" Remy said with a sincere look in his eyes. Remy didn't want to go and I sure the hell didn't want him to leave my side but this was supe business. I nodded and wiggled myself out of the booth to let Remy out. He caught me with a kiss as he slowly stood up. Needless to say I was breathless and taken by surprise. I do hope silver isn't the only thing he brought for protection. "You be good while I'm gone," he said with a smirk and I smiled.

I sat there playing with the straw in the last of my Coke when a sandy blond man and his big goofy sidekick entered the bar. They both had that Peter Pan thing going on. You know, like they went off to college and never left the frat house. Sandy fancied himself a player, I could tell, but there was something endearing about his friend. You know, like his mommy picked his clothes for church every Sunday, kind of thing. Sandy spotted the fresh meat, which happened to be me. I could see that he was already working on a game plan as he whispered in his wingman's ear. Big Goof saw that I was looking in his direction and gave me an amiable grin with a rather blank stare. Yep, not much going on up top. This should be interesting, let's hope to hell Remy doesn't come back anytime soon.

"I couldn't help but notice that you're alone," he tells me with a sly look on his face and an extra beer in his hand. He places the beer next to my Coke and sits down across from me.

"Sorry, I don't drink that kind of stuff," I said as I pushed the beer back towards him.

"Okay. I'm good with that. I'll just give it to my friend here. Would you like another Coke?" Sandy asked me.

"No thanks, I'm waiting on my boyfriend," I simply answered.

"I've heard that one before," he mumbled to his friend and resumed giving me that big stupid grin.

"Jas, what if she really is waiting on her boyfriend? Dawn's over there giving you the stink eye," the BG warns him.

"Been there, done that Hoyt," Sandy whispered back to his friend. "Don't cock block me dude!"

It never occurred to the two dumb asses that I could hear their conversation from across the table. They especially were not aware of my date coming up behind them. Remy looked amused, not pissed for which I was glad. He gave me a wink and a smile before putting on a serious face.

"'Lindy are these two clowns bothering you?" Remy asked me with a slight growl to his voice. I looked around to see that Sam had a smile on his face. Even RuPaul stopped flipping burgers just so he could watch the show as did half the place... including Ms. Rude. I went along and nervously played with my straw. I gave Remy a sheepish look.

"I told them I was waiting on you. They were going to kindly buy me another Coke," I said in my slightly exaggerated accent.

BG and Sandy looked up at Remy who was glaring down at them. Remy looked menacing even though I knew he was only playing. I'd hate to see what he looks like when he's truly pissed off. BG was the first to get up. He may have been taller than Remy but he oozed friendly. It was a far cry from the hard look Remy was giving him.

"I was about to leave sir," BG managed to get out before hightailing it over to the pool table.

"What 'bout you?" Remy asked Sandy. His Cajun accent only making him sound all the more menacing.

"S-same here s-s-sir," Sandy said as he stood up. Sandy was slightly more compact than Remy but I could tell he was built like a brick shithouse. Remy smiled at me when Sandy wasn't looking as we both watched him scamper over to his friend. Remy held his hand out for me. I slid on out of the booth. He grabbed my coat and held it for me.

"'Lindy, we got to go. I hate to cut this short but it's not good," he whispered in my ear as he laid my coat on my shoulders.


	48. Chapter 48

**Thanks to treewitch703 and all of you out in internet land!**

Remy and I walked back to the car. Remy was eying every shadow in the parking lot, so I thought it best to stay quiet. Remy held the door as I scrambled in and quickly locked it . I watched as Remy worked his way around the front of the car. He was on high alert. I decided it was best not to ask him how things went with Sam 'till we were on the road. I hated having our date cut short as much as Remy probably did, but he wouldn't be acting like this if something bad wasn't in the wind.

"How'd it go?" I finally asked as Remy pulled onto the road and we were driving safely past a farm house and a cemetery.

"Not good, sweetheart. Howl has recently been put into a home. Seems the wolf is getting senile. I'm surprised the others didn't put him down. I think they're reluctant because there's not another strong alpha available besides T-Bone, and none of the other wolves want him back. Guess T-Bone has been lurking around Monroe since his father was committed. We can't take our chances 'Lindy," Remy tells me as he checks the rear view mirror again.

"I doubt that bastard ever left. He's probably been lying low," I commented.

"You're probably right darlin'. We can't take the chance. Can you check the glove box for me hon?"

I flipped open the compartment to discover a silvery gun inside. Remy reached over and snagged it as he drove. "Excellent, I packed my good luck charm!" Remy said as he handed me the gun. "Make sure she's loaded for me. I don't see anything suspicious but we can't be too careful. You got your weapon 'Lindy?" Remy asked as he kept his eyes on the road.

"Always," I said as I patted my purse. I didn't think I would look too good wearing the holster tonight so I opted for putting the gun in my purse. I knew I would be with Remy most of the evening, but a lot can happen on the way to the ladies room, a girl can't be too safe, right?

"I wish our date had lasted longer 'Lindy," Remy said softly as he kept his senses focused on our surroundings. "I'll make it up to you, I promise."

"Maybe when this is all over with, we can have a date with the kids? I'd really like it if you got to know them. I think Izzy already likes you. That's a good sign," I said, trying to make small talk and calm my nerves at the same time. The dim light of the dash board let me see the smile on Remy's lips. Remy reached over and took my hand.

"That sounds like a mighty fine idea. Daddy Joe always talked about your kids . He really loved them. I know I will too," Remy said as he squeezed my hand.

I felt a huge weight lift off of me the minute we pulled into my drive. Mag's bike stood near the carport. Perfect werewolf deterrent if you ask me. I know T-Bone won't try anything stupid as long as Mag is around. Remy held the car door open for me as he went back on high alert, scanning the area. Remy slid his good luck charm into a concealed holster before he got out of the car.

"I don't sense any strange werewolves 'Lindy. Just your son overlaying the faint scent of his father," Remy said quietly. Remy handled me like the Secret Service would the president. He followed behind me, checking every tree and every bush. When we reached the porch, he put his hand on my shoulder and turned me around. He grinned shyly. "'Lindy, I know this is being a bit forward but you need to let me stay the night," I guessed Remy wanted to stay not for a little tussle in the sheets but to protect my family.

"I have a feeling the couch might be taken," I said with a smile.

"Who said I need the couch darlin'?" Remy said as he stood dangerously close. Hmmmm, lord-a-mercy! I laugh and he does the same.

"Come on in you yummy Cajun. I don't feel safe out here," I finally said as I opened the door. If Remy wore a tie, I would've grabbed it but instead I got that sex afire smile as I took him by the hand.

In the living room, as I suspected, Mag was asleep on the couch. Tonight Mag wasn't alone. Izzy was curled up on top of him snuggled into the red quilt with Mag's chest as her pillow. It wasn't a school night so the kids could stay up as late as they wanted. Andy was zonked out on the chair. I took the remote and turned off the television and laid it down next to the empty popcorn bowl. Remy was smiling, I put my finger to my lips while I got Andy a blanket and covered him up. Mag stirred a bit and settled back into snoring while Izzy buried herself into his t-shirt clad chest. The sight was so precious that I didn't want to wake them. I even grabbed another blanket to cover Mag's lower half.

"I didn't know gods snored," Remy whispered, smiling.

"He's ticklish too," I whispered and Remy raised an eyebrow. I blushed as I told Remy about touching Mag's ear. Since Andy wasn't sleeping in his bed I guided him to Andy's room. I thought that would be a good place for my new man to bunk, but Remy pulled me into his arms. Our lips touched and it was electric. I ran my fingers through his thick hair and I stroked my hands down his well-formed chest.

"I'm ticklish too 'Lindy," Remy said playfully the minute he caught his breath. "I'm not going to tell you where. It is one of the things I want you to discover about me."

"Some other time, when we're alone. Even if the kids can't hear us, I'm pretty sure Mag can," I said, hating to rain on Remy's parade. There's nothing I wanted more than this beautiful man lying next to me, but tonight is not the night. I know I've messed around with Eric a couple of times but it was a couple of times too many if you ask me. My little lupine can hear a pin drop and I just didn't want to risk it.

"I understand sweetheart. Maybe I can take you to New Orleans one of these days? We can have a nice time there," Remy said and kissed my cheek.

"I'll have to see if Auggie doesn't mind watching the kids for me one of these weekends. I'm sure it won't be a problem, but I want this whole T-Bone mess over with first. Then we can go play," I said kissing his cheek in return. I said my goodnights before heading for my bedroom.

I pulled off my clothes and put on a strappy cotton nightgown, went to the bathroom, brushed my teeth and hair and washed off my makeup. I padded back to my bedroom to find Remy sitting on my bed in nothing but his plaid blue boxers, wiping down his silvery gun . Jesus Christ in heaven! I studied his nearly naked body following the red scars cris crossing his back and sides. It looked like permanent passion marks, upon closer inspection it looked more like animal savagery. I'd seen the same marks on his forearms. It looked similar to the scars some of the girls sported when I worked for Howl. You know the girls dumb enough to hook up with a werewolf. I know not all werewolves behave like that, but the ones in Monroe sure did. Marking up a girl was similar to them lifting their legs and pissing all over you. It let the rest of the world know that you were someone's property whether you liked it or not.

Remy had let his hair down from its leather strap, which still looked shaggy either way. His shoulder length sun streaked hair glowed in the lamp's light. Remy had the kind of hair people paid good money to get and a body that most men waste their time at a gym trying to achieve. He glanced my way with a toothy grin.

"Seems Momma Bear caught me getting ready to sleep in her bed," Remy said as he put his weapon on the bedside table. "The pup decided to curl up in his bed after all. I couldn't bring myself to sleep in Izzy's bed. The couch is taken and this bed seems to have room for two." He winked as he stretched out on the bed so I could get the full benefit of his rugged bod. I noticed more scars on his chest, almost obscured by fine hairs. Then there was the pleasure trail that I really wanted to explore, but not tonight, as much as I wanted to.

I laid down with him and Remy rolled to put his arm around me. He pulled me close while I ran my hand over the hairs on his chest and traced his scars with my fingertips. His wild scent filled my nose and the feel of his pulse under my fingers confirmed that this was right. It had never felt so right before.

""Lindy, I promise to keep my hands to myself if you let me sleep here," Remy said as he moved his arm away. I must've pouted because he tapped my mouth with his finger tip. God this man was so beautiful!

"I don't mind, just no hanky panky, okay. Not with the kids and Mag so close," I smiled as I laid my head on his chest. He ran his fingers through my hair as I snuggled close, rubbing my face on his chest hair.

"You drive a hard bargain darlin'," Remy said with a laugh and kissed my forehead. We both fell asleep snuggled against one another. Damn this just felt so right!

I woke up to an empty bed surrounded by the wonderful wild scent lingering in my sheets. I smiled at the thought of sharing my bed with a man that actually had a pulse. I could hear activity in the other bedrooms and kitchen; Mag's voice rumbled from the direction of Izzy's bedroom. Andy wandered out of his room to see if Mag needed any help getting Izzy ready to take on the day. Then I grinned like a fool when I heard a third voice in the kitchen. It was my man making breakfast. I prayed every morning could be like this - only I could see us living at Daddy Joe's old farmhouse instead of here.

A gentle knock sounded on my door, it had to be gentle because the one doing it would've easily had my door in splinters if he wasn't. "Are you awake, Belinda?" I heard that familiar accented rumble. I pulled the sheets and blankets up. I didn't want Mag seeing me in my nightgown, as silly as that may be.

"Yes," I said sleepily. Mag opened the door and gave me that wide and beautiful smile of his. He laughed a bit when he noticed my modesty. Mag seems an innocent at times but at others he shows that he's a lot more savvy than I thought.

"Humans, pfffft. You have such silly little hang ups," Mag said as he shook his head. He wandered over to my closet and started rummaging through my clothes. As soon as he found my robe he tossed it on the bed. "You don't need to hide your body around me, Belinda, you forget how old I really am. I just had to come here to tell you something. I was hoping I didn't wake you?"

"No, you didn't. Thank you for taking care of my kids last night by the way," I said as I struggled with my robe under the sheets and blankets. Mag approached the bed and held the robe for me. He chuckled at my Southern modesty. Of course being a Viking and coming from a different era Mag's viewpoint is different from mine, being part god may have a little to do with it too.

"I like being around your children Belinda. They are so clever. Andy showed me video games. It was fun. Izzy and I had a tea party with her dolls. It's no wonder Aunt Astir enjoys her work. Izzy is a very special girl. She is full of love but she has a hard time expressing it. She told me about your struggles. I had no idea it was that bad for you Belinda," Mag said as I felt his weight shift my bed when he sat down. I swear I spied a bit of ice on his cheek. I never realized how relaxed Izzy was with the supes. I knew she was open but not like a book.

"Didn't Auggie tell you?" I asked as I scooted over to him.

"A little. She told me about the werewolf problem and of your son and daughter but she never told me any more than that. Aunt Astir seems to think I need more exposure to your world. I think she's right. I want to learn as much as I can before Odin summons me back to Asgard. The world has changed a lot since the Viking's time. I can understand why the surviving Jotunns distance themselves from humanity, but I don't want to be like that. I like the modern world and it's even better since I have friends," Mag said as he looked down at the floor. I laid my face on his back and slid my arms around him.

"Mag sweetie, I hope Odin doesn't call you back anytime soon. Is he going to take you away again?"

"Oh no, but I am going to have to leave for a few days. Mother needs me to go to Ohio. The Jotunns are having a problem with one of their own," Mag looks over at me and sighs.

"Your Uncle V?"

"Seems Uncle V was nearly captured by some hunters. He was visiting his friend. A camera crew nearly caught a clear image of his face. The others don't mind blurry films but with the new digital cameras these days…"

"Dangerous for you and for Esmeralda's people," I finished his sentence.

"Very, I'm not sure if humans are ready for Jotunns. I am rather small and Mother is considered small too."

"How big are your people Mag?"

"Modern measurement…. I'd say an average Jotunn is around ten feet tall. That might even be conservative. Uncle V is taller than that. I just hope he fits in the truck," Mag said, calmly, like he was telling me that the sky is blue. My jaw dropped.

"You're bringing him back to Louisiana?" I managed to ask.

"It is the only way. Mother doesn't want to leave the life she has built for herself here. Uncle V is very old. He is one of Ymir's original children. The others don't want him to be alone anymore but none are willing to take him in. Uncle V is a bit…different," Mag said hesitantly. "I'm not even sure he'll… like living in the shop with mother. Uncle V likes being near nature too much."

"You think he's going to drive your mom bonkers?"

"Bonkers? Funny word," Mag said with an amused smile.

"I mean insane," I corrected myself. Mag knew a little modern English but slang wasn't one of his strong points.

"Yes, insane. That I understand."

I had a feeling Mag was trying to cash in on a favor in his own great hearted way. I might as well beat him to the punch. "If it doesn't work out at Backbone, he can stay here. I've got the wildlife preserve behind me and some of the underbrush in the area is pretty thick. I don't think anybody will find him there. I can even keep an eye on him for you too," I offered.

"Uncle V is very curious about humans. Maybe living near one that knows about him might keep him out of trouble," Mag said to himself.

"I owe you one, buddy," well, maybe three but I wasn't going to tell him that. I wasn't even sure what I was getting myself into.

"I'll have Mother call you. I have a feeling that after one hour Mother will want to be rid of him. You mind if I have a shelter built for him? Uncle V doesn't require much. He likes to hunt for his own food. You won't even know he is here," Mag said, smiling. It dawned on me that I had been suckered.

"No, I'm sure we can get Alcide on it. That's what he does for a living. I'll just see if he has any free time in his schedule. It'll be good bonding time for him and Andy," I said, hoping to hell Alcide doesn't question the size of the simple storage shed. It'll probably be more like a barn than a shed.

"You would do that for Uncle V? You really are a good friend. Mother will be so grateful," Mag said as he turned and scooped me up into another one of those fantastic hugs of his. The big lug has gotten to mean as much to me as chocolate. I can't help but love the big guy. I've gotten used to his boundary issues since Mag's touch was always innocent and nothing more. Actually they were probably more my issues, since Mag didn't seem to have many boundaries.

"I'll make the phone call. All you have to do is bring him here. We'll have to give Alcide some specs on the size."

"Don't worry about cost. Mother and Aunt Astir will take care of that. It doesn't need to be anything fancy. Let's just make sure the structure blends in with the surroundings. Aunt Astir will put some protection wards on it so no one finds him. This is a great thing you're doing, Belinda," Mag said with a smile and kissed the top of my head. He left my bedroom smiling.

Breakfast smelled fantastic and the sight of Remy cooking it was even more fantastic. Mag was perched on the stool again and eating cereal from the mixing bowl. I'm going to have to make a run to the Winn Dixie if this keeps up. That giant is going to eat me out of house and home. Mag smiled ruefully.

"Aunt Astir restocked your cabinets last night. I am sorry I eat so much," Mag said shyly. Remy smiled as he flipped an omelet. I put my arms around his waist and stood up on my tip toes to kiss his cheek. Remy turned around and gave me a proper kiss. Mag grinned, peering over the edge of his bowl. Andy just shook his head before attacking his bacon but Izzy, Izzy actually smiled. A real and genuine smile.

"Does this mean Remy can be our daddy now?" Izzy asked and Andy spat out his bacon. I bit back a laugh and I'm pretty sure Remy did the same as our foreheads met. Mag shook his head and joined our laughter. He stood up and walked over to Izzy and whispered in her ear. Izzy cocked her head to listen to the giant. Mag chuckled as he gently patted her back before going back to munching on his cereal.

"Sorry," Izzy said shyly and looks down at the floor. Remy smiled gently at her.

"I would love nothing more than to be yours and Andy's daddy but I think we need to give your mother and brother some time first, 'K Bayou Princess?" Remy said, winking. I can't believe Remy just called my daughter by Daddy Joe's nickname for her. He even said it the way Daddy Joe always did. This man is really working his way into my life. Izzy giggled and goes back to eating her Lucky Charms.

Remy's omelet was the best I ever tasted. Who knew a hunter of supernatural creatures could cook? I dribbled some salsa on my chin that Remy sweetly wiped away for me. Andy collected the dirty dishes while Mag took Izzy into the living room. This is what true domestic harmony must feel like. Remy and I talked over coffee about mundane things like the weather. I told him about the kids and Remy listened, he really listened - with interest even. We laughed when we spied Mag playing Clydesdale with Izzy. Mag is much too big to play pony.

"I can see why you care for Mag so much 'Lindy. His heart is as big as the rest of him," Remy said as he handed me another cup of coffee. Remy even fixed it the way I liked it too.

"Yeah, he's a wonderful friend to have," I said as I blew on my cup.

"Bit lonely, from what I can tell. Seems his world revolves around his mom, aunt and brother. He talks about you quite a bit. Said you were the kindest mortal he knew. I can't argue with that," Remy said with a smile as he reached over the table and took my hand.

Izzy giggled while Mag crawled around. He wasn't wearing his boots and his socks were mismatched again. Today it was a bright blue with a green sock. Mag probably didn't care about his fashion faux pas.

"He definitely needs a woman in his life to keep him in line," I said and Remy laughed.

"I'm glad I have one," Remy said as he squeezed my hand. I turned ten shades of red.

"I just hope I don't have to get on you about your socks," I said with a giggle and Remy laughed. He kissed my hand and a shiver ran down my spine. He whispered a few French words. You'd think growing up in Cajun country I would be fluent in French, but I was in no condition to learn much while spending most of my time at a werewolf bar. I do know a few words like when Remy calls me by one of his pet names, petit rouge, little red.

"You are one beautiful woman 'Lindy," he then said in that sweet baritone of his. I still can't believe a man as sexy as Remy would find someone like me beautiful. I leaned into his hand that was touching my cheek. For the first time in my life I felt truly safe around a man.


	49. Chapter 49

**I want to thank my beta treewitch703 for keeping me honest!**

We thought it would be good to give Mag a sendoff with a small feast at Crawdaddy's. Remy figured he might enjoy trying Cajun cooking plus he felt he owed Mag for buying me that pretty shirt I liked so much. Daryl stayed after he closed the shack to make the food and help out with the clean up afterwards. We couldn't have a fais-do-do with strangers ogling our guest of honor, so an after hours party it was.

Mag grinned when he walked into his very first Cajun restaurant festively decorated for the holiday season. Sparkly garlands draped the booths and flaming poinsettias dotted the tables, even the stuffed gator wore a Santa hat. Daddy Joe used to let us decorate the place, Remy kept on with his old man's ways. The girls went all out this year. Christmas lights surrounded the menu board and Daryl's hatch had a wreath hanging above it.

Daryl still seemed a bit taken aback by the giant even though he'd met him at Daddy Joe's funeral. Mag remembered Daryl and bent down to give him the kind of half hug guys go for. Not the pick Belinda off of her feet sort of hug that I get. Trailing Mag was his hard partying brother. Modi, recently released from supe rehab into Mag's custody. Sobriety hadn't changed Modi's outward appearance like it did ordinary people; his smile told me that he was clean and sober. Daddy Joe never had a liquor license for the restaurant, I guess that something to do with the old man having an alcoholic son, aka my new squeeze. Daddy Joe always wanted it to be a family joint so it was the perfect hang-out for Modi.

"Hi Belinda, I want to make amends for my behavior, I was drinking," Modi said as he kept a respectful distance, unlike the first time I met him. Modi looked like an ordinary person except for his eyes, which were an intense coppery brown. Even though he wasn't tall like Mag he did have the blood of a god running through his veins. Not just any god either, both Mag and Modi were the sons of Thor.

"It's quite alright, I understand," I said as I exposed my arm a bit. Unlike Mag, Modi understood what he was looking at. I'm pretty sure Modi had seen plenty of drug use while he was a rock star.

"I never touched that shit. Seen too many dumb-ass humans waste themselves with it. I lost a few friends and a drummer. Drink was my poison and maybe there was the occasional groupie. Even though my constitution is much stronger than that of a mortal, it wasn't right for me to hide from reality in a bottle. Grandfather is letting me escort Mag to Ohio to retrieve the giant. After that I must go back to Asgard and take my punishment for stealing his mead. Father has decided to disown me but I'm okay with that. I only need my brother Mag, not him," Modi told me as he took my hand and stroked my scarred forearm. "I only wish I had visible scars to remind me that I don't want to be that ass ever again. I want to thank you and Remy for helping me sort things out. I need to make sure my cell phone works in Asgard in case I need my sponsor. There are plenty of temptations there."

"You don't necessarily need scars to remind you not to drink. I'm lucky my scars aren't what keeps me from using, it's my kids and knowing the fact that they love me and need me is what helps me stay clean. Mag loves you plenty, always remember that," I tell the Viking demi-god; "Maybe Odin will let you catch a couple of meetings while you are with him".

"True, I have treated my brother badly. Mag has been nothing but kind to me. I respect him for punching me out that day. He is the only one who has truly cared about me recently. I can't thank you enough for what you and Remy have done for me. Esmeralda has even offered to take me in if I ever come back. Even though I haven't treated her very well either," Modi said as he looked down at the floor shamefaced. His blond hair fell around his face in a curtain. The Viking looked at me thoughtfully through the strands. "I plan on taking her up on her offer. I made a buddy in rehab. I want to see him again. He's a vampire with an addiction to cat's blood but he's a really cool guy. I knew him when he was alive. Drugs do bad things to good people. If he hadn't been using before he was turned, I don't think he would be the way he is today. The sheriff brought him there. He got real confused passing through a town of werepanthers on his way to an assignment for the sheriff. He still prefers cat's blood but limits himself to the domestic variety. You'd like him if you got to know him." Modi regarded me with an encouraging smile. Despite the molten color of his eyes and somewhat intimidating façade, I could see that Modi had changed for the better.

"I'm proud of you," I said as stood up on my tiptoes and kissed Modi's cheek. Of the four male supes in the room, the two demi gods and the two hunters, Mag loomed over them all, and Modi over-topped both Daryl and Remy by a bit. Still, Remy was the perfect height for me. "Keep it up. Call Remy or me if things get to be too much." I took his warm hand between mine and held it reassuringly. Mag is good to his brother and loves him dearly but Remy and I understood Modi's situation. We would be best to talk the god off his inchoate ledge if it came right down to it.

Remy came up from behind me and pulled me up against his chest. He kissed my cheek and I blushed furiously, like I always do. "Lindy, how's the bayou princess doin'?" he asked me.

I have been dealing with Izzy's bad day, all day. She crawled back into her autistic shell as soon as she found out about Mag's trip. This morning was real bad. She screamed and cried to the point she was hyperventilating and choking. Andy calmed her down briefly when he shifted into his fuzzy self. Alcide has taught him how to control his change better. He nuzzled her and whimpered which seemed to soothe her a bit. Izzy always liked animals but we could never have pets where we lived and I wasn't too sure I wanted the extra responsibility. But Andy's latent otherness proved to be a blessing this morning.

"She's still not happy. Thanks for calming her down earlier," I said as I remembered this afternoon. For Andy to stay in wolf form, but keep his humanity foremost in his mind, was draining especially since Andy is new to the whole transformation thing. Remy came over and relieved Andy so that he could get some rest for the party. I didn't want my son showing up all hairy and wearing a collar. Remy couldn't physically use the same approach as Andy. My man is just a supe of a different variety. He soothed her with stories about the swamp and other legends, all apparently true. This calmed Izzy down enough for a nap. This cemented Remy's place in my life watching him take on the toughest task I know.

We watched as Mag picked up my mopey daughter. At least she's just moping and not crying. She leaned into Mag, twisting her face into her grumpy expression. Seemed as though even one of her favorite supes couldn't cheer her up. Maybe Eric would do the trick if I get to see him tonight. My Viking boss had been busy getting the bar ready. Lately he told me there's no need for his human staff to be there which makes me wonder if he's dealing with vampire shit. I'm fine with not having to work when vamp business is involved. Ignorance is bliss when it comes to that mess. Some of the girls get mad when he doesn't need us there. I guess a few of 'em can't get enough of being around vampires.

"Now Izzy, please don't be upset. I will be back in a week. Modi and I will try to make it sooner but we have to figure out where my uncle is first. As soon as we find him, I'll be back on the road," Izzy curled up into a ball, shutting Mag out in her own way.

Mag spent the past week helping us prepare and decorate the house for Christmas. Remy cut down a tree and we decorated it with ornaments the kids made. He lifted Izzy up so that she could put on the star on top. Izzy seems to have taken a shine to my hunter.

Mag and I worked with Alcide on the specs for my new 'barn'. We thought it best to not tell him what it is ultimately going to be used for. I explained that I was going to let Mag have a workshop on my land so that he can work on cars. Alcide questioned the dirt floor and the lack of a loft for a two story structure. Finally Mag came up with the idea for two small loft spaces that weren't really big enough to store anything, more like observation decks.

Mag and Remy helped Alcide raise the structure. Seems Mag's giant reach and godly strength came in handy for holding up the walls. Now I have a large frame structure standing in my woods. Alcide is bringing in a few of his wolves to help out with the rest of the project while Mag is away so that the 'barn' would be ready by the time he got back. Mag used the excuse that he was going to Ohio to pick up some parts and a body for the vintage ride he hoped to restore. Alcide would have kittens if he knew the real truth; Mag was going to Ohio to fetch a twelve foot tall old man.

Auggie was buzzing around adding her own touches. She planned on bringing in electric for my benefit. Apparently frost giants have keen night vision. Auggie seems to think that once I get to know V, I'm going to enjoy hanging out with him so she is setting up the same wild electrical system the Backbone uses. It would probably give an engineer fits but mixing up modern science and magic was right up Auggie's alley. The fancy hand forged lightning rods were actually quite attractive on a simple wooden barn. They each represented the elements and the hours of the day. Auggie planned on putting up the rods and placing the protection wards after Alcide left.

Yep, my week sure has been busy what with wrapping up the presents while the kids are in school and helping out one of my new friends. Esmeralda called from her custom made wooden phone to tender a thousand thanks and to warn me about some of Uncle V's quirks. She assured me that he was basically harmless and actually don't mind humans much, it's just that he was a Viking by nature and culturally was a little different than modern people. She also warned me to expect deliveries. Seems she had taken it upon herself to purchase some new clothes for my guest.

Strange delivery trucks pulled up almost daily. I told Alcide that the packages and crates were Mag's car parts, not oversized t-shirts and pants. I have a strong feeling he didn't believe me considering quite a few of the delivery people were supes of all sorts driving an old nineteen fifties style delivery truck. I doubt the truck even went back out the main road when it turned off my drive.

"You can't go," Izzy's voice took me away from my thoughts. "Bad things are going to happen if you leave."

"I must go little one. No one else can track a giant like I can. Uncle V really needs me," Izzy just curled up back into her ball, blocking Mag out once again. I glanced at Modi who was sitting across the room. He frowned when he heard the exchange.

Izzy whispered "The bad man wants to take Mommy and Andy away. He's afraid of you. He won't take them away as long as you're around." Modi stood up from his chair and headed for his brother. Mag stroked Izzy's braids. Izzy peered out at Modi from her refuge. Modi and Izzy were almost eye to eye. "You're warm," she tells Modi as he smiled at her.

"I am warm because ice doesn't run through my veins like it does my brother's," Modi said. It might've been an insult to most people but for Mag this was true. "I am lightning and heat little one. That is why I am so warm," Modi smiled as he showed Izzy small sparks of lightning bolts dancing along his fingertips. Modi touched her cheek with a gentle zap that caused Izzy to jump back and giggle. Mag shared a smile with his brother.

"You're funny Modi," Izzy tells the god . "I like you now that you feel better."

"I like you too Isabelle. I will make sure Mag gets back as soon as possible," Modi assures her. "Please no more tears. For me?"

"For me too little one," Mag tells her. "Let's have fun. Maybe was can dance?" Izzy's eyes lit up at the thought of dancing with her favorite 'uncle'. She then leaned in and grabbed his belt loops for balance and stepped up onto his feet. Modi bent down to kiss her forehead as Mag danced away slowly, holding Izzy securely by the shoulders

Just as Mag had said that, Remy turned on the jukebox. Zydeco music flooded the speakers. Remy came dancing over to me and swept me off my feet careful not to hit a booth or a table. He whispered something French in my ear before reverting back to English. "One of these days I'm going to have to get my band back together. It was loads of fun."

"You play an instrument?" I said breathlessly as Remy dipped me.

"More than one darlin'. I used to carry my harmonica around to play on those lonely nights I was out hunting. Lonely nights aren't the problem anymore 'Lindy," Remy said as he smiled flirtatiously. I couldn't help but look pleased as we danced between the rows of booths. I leaned into him as a slow song came on.

Andy was completely worn out from dealing with his sister earlier but he still managed to smile with approval from the corner table. Auggie turned around and did the same. Andy's approval was very important to me, just as much as Izzy's approval was. He is my not so little man after all.

I laughed when the music picked up and Mag shuffled Izzy back down on her own two feet. Mag looked unusually large in the small restaurant but he managed to stoop enough to hold Izzy's hands and true to his word, they danced. Izzy smiled and jumped up and down while Mag just swayed back and forth. The door opened to admit the Backbone gang. Carrie was snuggled up against Harvey while holding his hand. Didn't know they were an item. The three witches giggled and smiled when they spotted Mag. Jareth came solo but still dressed like the rock star wannabe. Yep, the gang's all here except for one lonely frost giantess. I wish Esmeralda could be here. Maybe she'll make it to my Christmas party.

Mag fanned his tongue when he tried the crawfish boil. Daryl liked making his mudbugs hot, that's for sure. It was such a human reaction - until the rims of his irises glowed slightly and he sighed of relief. Remy laughed as did Modi.

"You big cheater," I said jokingly as I looked up at him. Mag grinned sheepishly.

"It was spicy," he exclaimed as he shrugged.

"He can't take the bloody heat Belinda. He did the same thing when I introduced him to Mexican. Big baby," Jareth said with a wink as he nudged Mag. There was an obvious buddy thing going on between the giant and the goblin. Jareth the gay goblin jokingly looked at Mag like he wanted to fuck him most of the time but he did so in an ironic way. Jareth knew Mag was as straight as an arrow but I have a strong feeling Jareth was as protective of Mag as I was.

"Pretty-boy," Mag mumbled back and Jareth smiled showing off his shark like grin. The two laughed and went about ravaging the buffet. Afterward I can see them punching each other playfully while having smoke out in the parking lot.

I sat down next Andy, who was chewing on a pulled pork sandwich. He filled his plate, mostly with meat. I'd noticed Andy's diet changed a bit since he started wolfing out regularly. He mostly eats meat and very few vegetables. Alcide informed me that this was completely normal for any two-natured carnivore. I also noticed a sudden growth spurt. Andy is about my height now, Andy sure was growing up fast.

"Mom, do you think Izzy might be right about T-Bone?" Andy asked with a worried look in his tried eyes.

"Don't worry honey. We have protection other than Mag. Esmeralda and Auggie wouldn't let him go to Ohio if they thought it'd compromise our safety," I tried to reassure my boy but it didn't make me feel any easier. Remy took the chair next to mine and smiled at my son.

"I won't let that bastard lay one paw on you Andy. He's going to find out what a Cajun hunter can do. You remember what I showed you with that fancy rifle of yours?" Luckily Remy had been keeping up Daddy Joe's firearms training with Andy. Andy seemed to like Remy and it was nice to see the two bonding even if it is over guns and knives. Remy even worked with Andy on his sword swings. Andy was quickly becoming a true warrior.

"I sure do. I hope I never have to fire it at anyone though," Andy said as he looked down at his plate. He seemed to have lost his appetite all of a sudden. I guess it's just the thought of having to actually kill someone, I know that would do it for me.


	50. Chapter 50

Alcide told Eric about the project going on in the woods. Once Eric found out that the project was to be for Mag he dragged in a few of his vamp buddies to finish the 'barn.' It's a good thing that the building is a ways from the house but I was still awakened by the sounds of pounding hammers. The good part was that these guys didn't like modern tools and insisted on using their own. Two were brothers from Germany and one was another Viking like Eric but unlike Eric these guys weren't used to working with humans and felt kind of put upon. Obviously doing this as 'brownie points with the boss sort of thing'. They just wanted to get the job done and get the hell out of Dodge, although I must say the Viking seemed to want to go the whole route with carving the beams, nothing like trying to impress your god, if you know what I mean. Maybe he just liked doing things the old way, and got into it.

Alcide scratched his head when he came out that afternoon to see that the structure had been completed with a few added flourishes.

"Who the hell has time to do something like this," Alcide said as he pointed up at the beams with twisty vines carved into them. Even the 'observation decks' looked like something out of Bavaria. "This place is too fancy for tinkering around with cars. Looks like Oktoberfest if you ask me."

"Definitely not in the plans, that's for sure. They went above and beyond," I said thinking to hell with it, I might as well come clean.

"This is one weird ass place to be working on cars. You sure that's what he's going to do?" Alcide still didn't trust Mag. I wasn't even sure if he liked him even after Daddy Joe's funeral.

"Actually he's going to Ohio to pick up his uncle. He's a twelve foot giant that is going to be living here," I said in a serious manner but Mr. Wolfman didn't think I was so serious when he erupted into laughter.

"Good one Belinda. There is no such thing as giants. Fairies, yes but not giants. Hell I've even seen a goblin or two but never a giant. All the other supes would know if there was," Alcide said, trying his darnedest to hold back his laughter. All I could do was smile like a fool. You'd have thought that just by meeting Mag that the possibility hadn't escaped him? Oh hell's bells is all I've got to say. He'll find out in a few more days, won't he?

"Mag called and said he is getting ready to head back. His brother Modi went with him. Mag had to track his uncle down which according to him wasn't all that hard. Convincing his uncle to move down here was. Guess frost giants are a stubborn bunch," I said which only caused Alcide to laugh more.

"Frost giants? I've heard of everything! Mag is a big guy; I'll give you that but creatures bigger than him?"

"Not creatures. They're people like us but only…" Alcide's laughter cut me off. "Fine, don't believe me. Find out for yourself. You're invited to my Christmas party. You'll meet him then."

"Belinda, thanks for the laugh sweetie, but I should be going. Call me if you come across any problems with the place. Frankly I would've wired it for electric if I knew the plans were going to change. Maybe later," Alcide said giving me a smile. "House for a giant," Alcide mumbled and shook his head.

"Yeah, maybe later. You still plan on taking Andy this weekend?" I thought it best to change the subject and I wanted to make sure he was still good to take Andy. No point in trying to convince Alcide of the truth, besides he's been in the supe world a lot longer than I have.

Alcide and I had come to some sort of custody agreement. If Andy wanted, Alcide would take him for a weekend here and there. Nothing was set in stone and Andy decided what he wanted to do. We thought that usually, and Alcide agreed, it would be best to give him at least a week's notice. Andy wanted to get to know his father and the agreement centered on Andy and his needs. Full moon weekends are definitely Alcide's no matter what. I don't know how Alcide handles this around his girlfriend but he does. Alcide had told me that he didn't think Debbie was ready to know about Andy yet.

"Yeah, the old man wants to take him to a ball game. I don't know if Andy will like it but it'll give him some time to bond with his grandpa. We'll definitely take him out to do some hunting too. You still cool with all this?"

"I'm still OK. I don't know how Izzy is going to take it. She doesn't like being away from her brother," I said as we walked out of the 'barn.' "Guess I'll just have to deal with it."

"Call me if there's a problem. I don't want your daughter to think I'm some sort of beast," Alcide said and I grinned at his last statement as I leaned against the 'barn'.

"I'll be sure to do that. You better get back to the site before your guys start missing you. I'll talk to you later," I said as I watched Alcide walk off.

"Is he gone," I heard a voice from behind me that made me jump. It was good 'ole Jareth in all his goblin glory. He laughed when he realized he'd given me a fright.

"Where the hell did you come from?" I said, trying to catch my breath. Damn goblins popping up like dandelions!

"I was waiting to get the bloody straw out of my bus but you and Wolfman there were getting cozy. What a waste, he needs someone who can really appreciate him, like me. " Jareth said in his cheeky way. "I don't know how you bloody do it girl. You've got all these guys buzzing around, do you ever think of sharing? No! Don't be so greedy."

"I know a fry cook that would be perfect for you," I mumbled as I tried to hold back my laughter.

Jareth and I worked hard at stuffing the straw into the extremely large mattress. Auggie was already zipping in and out. She balanced herself on the beams, working on the wiring. Andy and Izzy came in to check out our new neighbor's house. Andy helped Jareth and me with the mattress. The more hands the better. Izzy contented herself with watching Auggie's amazing balancing act.

"I already installed the rods. You won't get the kind of Thor driven power we get at the Backbone but you don't really need that much. Vaffy usually likes it a little on the dark side," Auggie yelled down from the beams.

"Vaffy?" I mouthed to Jareth and the goblin just smirked.

"Her pet name for the love of her life," Jareth whispered into my ear and gave me that shark like grin.

"Auggie and a…" I answered all wide eyed.

"She won't admit to it but she and Uncie V are sort of an item. Well to him anyway. He has been crushing on Auggie for a little over millennium now. She says that he is way too bloody big for her. Never stopped her mum from romping with Essie's dad. Just a stupid bloody excuse if you ask me," Jareth bends down to busy himself with the fabric and straw. Andy snorted, which let me know that he overheard our little conversation.

"How old are you? How long have you known Auggie?" I asked and Jareth playfully showed his teeth and growled.

"It's not polite to ask a goblin his age," Jareth said with a wink. "I guess since that time in the Welsh country. I was a thief in those days and Esmeralda was a warrior for hire. Auggie was burned out on watching the royal brats and decided to team up with her half-sister. They were trying to raise enough funds to get supplies. The supe world was totally buzzing about a land untouched by European greed. Esmeralda wanted to get the remaining Jotunns out of Scandinavia. The Celtic and the Welsh giants wanted the same so Esmeralda was also brokering deals between the three groups. The Celtic and the Welsh giants never got along too well since that blow hard Finn McCool," Jareth said as he rolled his chimeric eyes.

"Anyway, that's a story for another time. Back to mine. I was a little scrapper of a thief in those days. I was always trying to prove myself to my mum. In fact my whole family was trying to prove that we were as good as any other goblins when it came to thieving. Guess that's one of those things you have to do when you've got some elf in your bloodline.

I was wandering the countryside one night when I came across the giantess sleeping. Her purse was hanging from her belt and my what a purse it was. Goblins feared giants so to steal from one without getting caught, well that would only prove that you are either the greatest goblin thief or the biggest dumbass ever. I was young and foolish then and I had a habit of learning things the hard way. Believe it or not thieves have rules, and I was having trouble following them.

I was fast and quiet. I had stolen from a wealthy merchant earlier that night but that score was nothing compared to the giantess's purse. I wanted that purse more than anything. I was careful as I approached her and even managed to get the loot. I wasn't expecting to be wrestled to the ground by a mere child although it wasn't a child. I realized my mistake when I saw the light pouring from her fingertips. The giantess stirred awake and the next thing I know a sword was pointed straight at my neck. I was terrified when the light from Auggie's hands revealed Essie's true size," Jareth said as he kept on stuffing away. Auggie perched on the beams swinging her dangling legs.

"Don't let him fool you B. He was so scared of me he pissed himself," Auggie jibed from on high. Jareth rolled his eyes. "Little more over there Andy. We don't want a grumpy giant whining about how lumpy his mattress is," Auggie said as she gestured towards Andy's corner. Andy just nodded and added a little more straw. Izzy was still staring up at Auggie. Auggie stood up and walked the beams with her staple gun and a handful of wires all while smiling down at my daughter.

"Does it hurt when she puts you on ice?" I asked the goblin thinking of my first meeting with Esmeralda. It was Jareth's turn to snort.

"Essie has always known her limits. That first year I traveled with them, Auggie purchased a wagon just so they could trundle my icy arse around. I tried to escape one too many times."

"They never tried to kill you?" I asked and Jareth tipped his head and twitched an eyebrow in my direction. Ooooh, he was full of himself.

"No, we realized Jareth wasn't full-bloodied. He was part of my people. Essie and I knew there was some good in him. Essie iced him only when he tried to escape," Auggie said nonchalantly from her place in the rafters. I knew my small friend was listening in as did Jareth who just grinned toothily.

"There was that time I lost that stupid bet," Jareth bellowed upward.

"Oh yeah, she was really mad about that. Jareth went to the pub and got all drunk. We ended up losing the wagon. Thought she wouldn't ice him anymore without our wagon but Master Goblin underestimated Essie's strength and the fact Mag had come for a visit," Auggie said with a giggle.

"Bloody humiliating being dragged around by my big toe by that blasted woman. I know I have goblin feet...but that was over the top. Mag I didn't mind so much, at least he used my collar" Jareth mumbled.

"Yeah, Essie thought it was in the best interest of her only son that Jareth minded his manners," Auggie said with a laugh. Andy and I smiled at each other. I never shielded Andy from the shadings of gray that tinted our world. With supes, nothing is ever as simple as black and white.

"What's Uncle V like?" Andy asked when he noticed Jareth didn't want to say anymore.

"Well Andrew, I know all of Esmeralda's people. Not many goblins can say that. Uncle V isn't like the others," Jareth answered my son.

"How so?" I ask.

"For one thing, V is still curious about humans. Most of the Jotunns would rather run for the hills but not V. Once we made it across the Bering Strait into what is now known as Alaska, Vafthrudir wanted to see what else was out there while the others wished to stay close to the Strait in case the new world didn't agree with them. They made it as far south as Washington State. He was the first to venture out and away he went," Jareth said.

"Essie and I followed him, Jareth tagged along," Auggie said as she stapled away, careful not to mess up the carvings.

"I really had no bloody choice at that point. Most of the giants wanted me gone. That was when this friendship really began to blossom. We let Vafth have some space. America was an interesting place before the settlers came. The air and water were so pure and unspoiled. Nothing like today.

Anyway, he settled in an area that is now known as Ohio. We worried when the settlers came but V kept his distance. Auggie and I would keep a lookout while Essie kept him company. As soon as we felt V was safe, we left him. He stayed unseen until about the Great Depression," Jareth explained.

"What happened?" Andy asked, getting into the story.

"Vaffy was out hunting for his meal. He liked to fish in a certain stream. That day he spied a child face down in the water. He usually stayed away from people but Vaffy couldn't just leave the boy. He did what any decent person would do. He managed to get the boy breathing. Even though Vafth can't feel the cold, he could tell that this boy was freezing. V wrapped him up in his tunic and did exactly what we told him not to do. He took the child back to his grass hut.

The boy had a fever. Vafth contacted me through a spelled amulet I gave him for emergencies. Giants aren't big on magic so I knew it was serious. By then, I was settling Essie into her cave up in Washington State. V had no clue about how to take care of a human much less a sick child. I pop-hopped myself across the country as quick as I could. My teleportation is not good enough for long distance.

Needless to say, Vaffy was beside himself when I got there. He told me that he thought the boy's condition was getting worse and every time the child opened his eyes, he would faint. V knew it wasn't just from the illness. I advised the giant not to speak to the boy and to let me take care of him for a bit. He did as I instructed. It also hadn't helped that Vafth 's only language was Old Norse. The boy probably thought he was some sort of monster trying to eat him.

I managed to wake the boy. Found out his name was Thomas Anderson and he had been running away from home. Seems his parents were going to lose their farm and had decided to put Tommy into a children's home. Vaffy entered the hut while I was talking to the boy. Tommy screamed. It was a job and a half trying to calm him down and explain that V wasn't going to hurt him. Tommy eventually recognized a few of V's words. Apparently his grandparents were Swedish immigrants and Tommy knew it as a second language. He couldn't fully comprehend Old Norse but he knew a few of the words. What he didn't know, I translated. Before I knew it, I was teaching a twelve year old boy an ancient language. Tommy picked it up pretty quick.

V and Tommy became fast friends as soon as Tommy understood him. The two were thick as thieves which made me hesitate to erase Tommy's memory of the giant and myself. The giant's sad eyes stopped me before I even started Vafth made Tommy swear that he would never tell a soul about him. Tommy cut his hand with a pocket knife. V was shocked until Tommy explained the blood brother ritual. He let Tommy cut his palm and the two were inseparable from that day on," Auggie paused with a sigh. My mind quickly went to the day Remy and I found Daddy Joe in his bed. It also brought to mind a certain half god giving a minute part of himself to me.

"Tommy went back home. His parents decided it would be better for him to stay with his grandparents. Seems they lived closer to the woods. Vafth was so happy when Tommy told him. I never realized how lonely he was. Tommy agreed to visit whenever he could. He introduced V to some of the modern amusements of the day, bringing him comic books and candy. Vaffy fed the boy's imagination with stories and play time. It was nice to see V made a true friend.

The visits were plentiful during the warmer months. Especially during summer vacation but as Tommy got older, his interest began to wane. V missed the candy and comic books. Now, Tommy only had two interests, girls and cars. He still visited but it wasn't a child's visit. Then came the day Tommy said he was going to Korea. V didn't like it one bit. Especially seeing Tommy in his army uniform. Tommy promised that he would make it back safe and he did aside from his injured leg. Eventually Tommy confessed he was going to be getting married. Tommy cried when he told him that he couldn't visit as much anymore. This about broke Vaffy's heart.

Tommy managed to come back every year. He told his wife that he was going fishing for a week with an old buddy. The giant looked forward to spending that one week with Tommy. They would fish right in that same spot where he'd pulled him out of the water. Tommy became a professor at Ohio State teaching mythology. He had a specialized in Norse mythology and became a noted expert. Vaffy was so proud of him. Each time he would bring comic books and candy but he would also bring pictures of his family. Tommy even gave him a waterproof box to store them in.

Tommy grew old as all humans do. Vafth cried when he told him about his wife and cancer, he considered Tommy's family as part of his own even though he never had personal contact with them. When Tommy retired and moved back to the area. He had a cabin built near to where Vaffy's grass hut was. Every day the two walked the woods. Vaffy would carry Tommy whenever he got tired. Then came the day Vaffy saw the ambulance. I had to explain to him what it was through the magical portal. V worried so much that I had to make a special trip. I bought a paper and read an obit for Professor Thomas Anderson. My heart broke ten times over that day. It was worse when I read it to Vaffy," Auggie frowned as she looked down at us. "Since then he has been keeping a nightly vigil at the grave. He nearly blew his cover this last time. The sooner he's here, the better."

"Much better," Jareth responded. "He gets found it'll be trouble for all of us. I still don't think it's a good idea for the bloodsuckers to come out. Next it'll be the bloody furballs and then what else? No offense Belinda but humans are too rotting curious."

"None taken," I responded with a small smile. I knew Jareth's angle and as a human that has been sucked into the supernatural world, I'm not sure if humanity is ready for it yet. I'm not even sure I want my son out in the full moon just yet. Andy is a good kid but I can see a tough road ahead of him if the two-natured ever come out. Hopefully by then he'll be a grown up ready to deal with it all but something tells me that's not going to be the case.

"I need to get Harvey in here to set up a flat screen. That should keep him occupied if he ever gets bored. Belinda, you got any magazines or old comic books around?" Auggie asked as she worked away.

"I might have some comic books I don't read anymore," Andy said as he kept shoving straw into the mattress.

"I gave all my magazines to Pam. He wouldn't have liked them anyway. All fashion and gossip," I responded.

"You'd be surprised. Vaffy likes anything with pictures. He can't read English very well. He just likes looking at the pictures. Tommy worked with him a little bit but V's stubborn," Auggie said as she began working on the light fixtures.

I imagined a boy around Andy's age showing an oversized old man how to read and speak. I wondered if Uncle V looked like Gandalf the Gray. You know long white hair and beard. Maybe he even has a cane? Then I looked up at Auggie who looked every bit of a high school junior. I bet the two made an odd pair.

"Mom, I might have some coloring books he can have," Izzy then said coming out of her dazed stare at Auggie nimbly walking the rafters. "Maybe we can get him some crayons? I can show him how to color."

"I think he'd like that Izzy," Auggie said with a warm smile before popping out. She reappeared near a light switch right by the barn door. "Let there be light!" Auggie announced before flipping switch. Warm light filled the large space. I got a good look at the mattress we worked so tirelessly to stuff and realized the size of it. Much bigger than even the furnishings in Esmeralda's apartment. Oh dear Lord, what did I get myself into now?


	51. Chapter 51

**Hello all! This chapter is proof that the gods must be crazy. Just to let you all know that I have one more chapter in the can before I take a small breather from this story. Been busy and Deadlocked inspired me to write a short story meshing the book and B's Song together with a lot of fun ideas. The timeline will be set later since the story will take place after Deadlocked. Not giving too much away except that this will be a completely fun story. Got a ways to go before I get it out there but I'm hammering through it. I want to thank you all for all the kind words and support this story has received. I especially want to thank treewitch703 for her awesome beta work! Totally love her and my readers! Thanks!**

We were checking the barn to see if everything was just so. Uncle V's bed looked a little naked I thought, maybe it should have a few pillows and blankets, nothing fancy. I don't know the guy from Adam but I do want him to feel comfortable. He might not use the blankets much but the place needed something welcoming. My phone vibrating startled me from my thoughts. I smiled automatically when I saw that it's one of my Backbone buds calling.

"It is good to hear your voice," the gentle Scandinavian cadence rocked over the phone. Mag always brightens up my mood.

"So nice to hear you too, Mag. How's everything going with you and Modi?" I heard Mag's brother in the background gruffly speaking in his native tongue. A slightly louder voice answered back in the same speech. It was weird. I almost thought I heard the stronger voice say something that resembled Graceland.

"Modi, turn off the speaker. Don't indulge him," Mag sounded muffled as though he had turned away from the phone. "Sorry about that. Modi and Uncle V have been at each other's throats since Modi wanted to stop by his friend's old house. Uncle V didn't like us leaving him alone in that state park but I can't let my brother out of my sight. At least that's what the doctor told me at the rehab center."

"Sounds like you got your hands full. Is Modi behaving?"

"Mostly. Uncle V has some issues. He's been getting car sick and we have to stop every so often. Uncle V hasn't been in any kind of vehicle since the Viking age. He didn't like the truck at first but now he tolerates it. We should be home tomorrow sometime. I have to drop off Modi at the Louisiana border, Odin will be waiting for him," Mag wearily recounted.

"Odin's taking him back home?" I wanted so much to be there for Mag. I had been missing him something fierce. I sure missed those loving hugs and the scent of wintery ocean breezes that swirled around Mag. Hard to believe it's been close to a week.

"He is escorting him back across the bridge. Grandfather is not too happy with his thievery. Grandfather promised that he will keep an eye on him and make sure he stays clean," Mag said. I had to bite back a laugh. I had been looking for details on Mag and his family and I had found out that Odin only had one good eye; to hear Mag say that appealed to my sense of humor.

"I'll be back to hit some meetings with Remy," I heard Modi say loudly.

"Tell him that's great to hear," and that big voice drowned everything else out again. Uncle V didn't sound like an old man to me.

"I'll be sure to tell him," Mag tells me. He pulled the phone away and I overheard him say, "Modi, you need to pull over. Uncle V is hungry again."

"Fucking frost giants," I heard Modi grumble in the background. "Good thing that icy bastard can't speak English too well. I'll go feed him, you talk to Belinda. Send her my regards. She's a saint for taking him in. I hope he doesn't trash the trailer this time."

"Be nice Modi. Uncle V is still sad about leaving Ohio. Besides how many hotel rooms did you end up trashing in your rock star days?"

"I have the right to zap the crap out of him. He's your damn uncle anyway," Modi grumbled before I heard the truck door shut. Mag sighed so loudly the phone picked it up.

"It's been like this since we started back. Uncle V needs some care right now and Modi doesn't seem to understand. Uncle V is big, so he needs to eat more often. He didn't like the idea of traveling in the truck. It took quite a bit of convincing on my part. Uncle V is not used to the modern world, although he does like McDonald's. I think that might be part of the reason for the carsickness," Mag said.

"That and the fact that he is not used to eating junk food," I said as I had the image of Modi walking into a McDonald's in his leather jacket and sunglasses ordering twenty super-sized meals for one very big man. "He's mainly lived off the land. His body might not be used to the processed food."

"I suppose you are right about that. Do you get the box I sent? Uncle V insisted that I send it right away after I told him about you and your children," Mag said and was cut off by the loud voice speaking Norse. I made out my name, Andy's and Izzy's. I also heard him say Auggie's original name of Astir. He mentioned Andy's name once more among the syllables I could understand and then I heard a word Auggie has called me before, vnir which means friend.

"Uncle V would like Andy to have it. He was wondering if maybe Andy would like to trade," Mag said after hearing his uncle out.

"I don't know. We haven't opened it," I answered, thinking that maybe the large box contained weapons. I watch my son helping out the goblin. I hear that big voice from Mag's end that can only be Uncle V. Mag responded in Norse.

"He wants Andy to open it up right now if it is close by," Mag tells me as I motion to Andy and he comes over.

"Uncle V wants you to open the box Mag sent," I tell my pup.

"You sure Mom?" Andy asks and I nod before putting the phone back to my ear. Andy grabs his pocket knife and starts cutting open the large cardboard box.

"He's working on it right now. By the way I haven't told you I miss you," I tell my big friend. I can almost visualize that fantastic smile of his.

"I miss you too. How are Remy and the kids doing? I forgot to ask."

"We're all doing great. The school wants to move Andy up a grade. Izzy is missing you something awful. Remy has the shack jumping since he let Daryl try some different recipes. That really had business picking up there," I told him as I watched Andy pull a large container out of the cardboard box. Andy's eyes widened when he saw what was inside.

"Mom, this is awesome!" Andy gasped. I looked down at the container and see an array of comic books, but not just any comic books. Vintage comic books in near mint condition. There was one on top that caught my eye right away. It was titled Action Comics with a man in blue tights and familiar red cape lifting a car. I still held the phone to my ear as I began sifting through the contents. There was even one called Detective Comics with Andy's favorite superhero, Batman. There were even some rare series like, Nyoka Queen of the Jungle.

"Uncle V would like to trade if that is OK with Andy. He especially likes Thor comic books. He finds them humorous," Mag's voice brought me out of my daze. I guess comic book Thor would be rather funny if you rubbed shoulders with the real McCoy. Rumbly, sweaty, hairy Thor bore no resemblance to the blond pretty boy picture Marvel Comics painted.

"I don't know. V's collection is pretty valuable," I say, thinking back to the few episodes of Antiques Road Show I've watched. The very first Superman is extremely rare, that much I do know.

"Uncle V doesn't care about money," Mag tells me and I hear that booming voice again. Mag responded and the voice chuckled before continuing.

"What is he saying?" I asked when my attention was drawn by the pictures Andy found at the bottom of the container.

"He says to tell the little human that money doesn't matter as long as the boy enjoys them. Leave the pictures though. They are worth more than gold to him."

Andy looked carefully at the picture of a handsome man in his army uniform. Even though the picture was black and white I could tell that he had neat blond hair and an intense gaze. Andy flipped over the picture. Written on the back in neat cursive was, Lt. Thomas Anderson, 1952. I mouthed to Andy to put it back. Andy nodded and did as I said. This was V's personal stuff after all.

"Andy, V wants to know if you would like to trade comics."

"Really? I don't know Mom. I'll make sure he gets 'em back in good condition" Andy promises as he pulls out one called Journey into Mystery. This one was newer than the Action Comics but still vintage. The cover showed a blond man wearing a winged helmet and swinging a big hammer. "The very first Thor," Andy whispered in awe. I smiled down at him as he sat on the floor looking though the container. All the pictures and comics were in protective plastic sleeves. This Thomas Anderson thought of everything.

"Tell V Andy will trade with him. Andy will have them lying on the bed so V has something to do when he gets here," I said, curious how someone as big as Uncle V could turn the pages of a comic book without leaving it in shreds. The voice rumbled again and Mag spoke back in the same Norse. I heard Uncle V say my name again. He sounded happy, he was even laughing a bit.

"Uncle V can't wait to meet Andy and Izzy. He also can't wait to see his new home. Aunt Astir told me that she was adding creature comforts. I don't know exactly what that means but it sounded nice," Mag said.

"Big flat screen T.V. and electricity," Auggie spoke loudly over my shoulder. It didn't surprise me that she could hear both ends of the conversation. Mag laughed.

"Television is something new to Uncle V. He's been watching the one mother had installed in the trailer," Mag said and then I heard voice boom Jeopardy. It's strange but I had a feeling Uncle V understood English more than he's letting on. "He likes the moving pictures."

I heard Modi "I'm back. Can you open the damn trailer for me? My hands are full."

"I better let you go," I tell Mag.

"Yes, Modi is loaded down with McDonald bags. When I get back we can have lunch at Remy's. I'm in the mood for good food. Uncle V may like those Big Macs but I'm sick of them," Mag said right at the same time I felt Izzy tugging on my arm. I knew by the look in her eyes what she wanted.

"You got a minute? Somebody wants to talk to you."

"There is always time for Izzy," Mag's voice perked up.

"Alright, I'm putting her on. Be safe. I miss you."

"You too Belinda. I miss you," Mag got out before I surrendered the phone to an antsy five year old. Izzy smiled broadly when I heard her say, "Hi Mag."

I left Izzy with my cell phone. I watched Andy going through V's collection. Andy may not have all the same interest as an ordinary ten year old but he does like his comic books and video games.

"Mom, he has some good stuff in here. I can't believe he wants to trade these," Andy said as he poured over the giant's treasure. I decided to get another look at those pictures. I wonder if Thomas Anderson took some of V? I found pictures of family reunions, school pictures and a family portrait. Then as I reached the bottom of the stack I found a picture of an adult Thomas Anderson holding a bass but the angle was a bit off and the picture blurred. I turned it over to find neat cursive. Vath's first picture, 1962 it said. Then I found another blurry picture. This one looked exactly like that old Bigfoot footage from the nineteen seventies. The figure was about as tall as some of the trees and appeared to be covered in some sort of grass. I turned this one over and it read, Project: Protect My Friend, 1972. I couldn't make heads or tails of it until Andy uncovered a notebook wrapped in plastic. Written in cursive on the cover it said, Operation: Grassman Lives Again. That really sparked my curiosity so I randomly read a page.

From just that one, I got that Tommy was trying to hide V from the ever expanding development in his area. Progress can be a bitch when it comes to cities and towns growing. For somebody like V it could be dangerous if not deadly. I found some newspaper articles in the notebook. Professor Thomas Anderson was an environmentalist as well as a friend to a very rare supe. He fought major companies wanting to build on land that would become a state park. Tommy not only was V's friend, he also recorded his experiences with the giant. From what I could gather, Tommy valued his friendship with the giant above all else. He really went out of his way to protect him from the outside world. Guess I'm his new guardian now. I hope I don't screw this up.

I put all the pictures and notebook back where I found them. Jareth and Auggie were busy deciding where to mount the movie theater screen size T.V. Izzy looked content talking to Mag on the phone. She was telling him about her flying adventure with Eric and how she was missing him. Eric had been so busy recently, no doubt taking care of vampire business. I went into work one night because Eric needed me and I swore to God I saw a state senator walking out of the bar. He didn't look like he had been glamoured but the man did look a bit frightened. "God help us," he mumbled under his breath before getting into his Mercedes and driving off. If only he knew that vampires aren't the only creatures lurking in the shadows.

Andy had all the comic books neatly stacked. I smiled at him and he smiled right back. Other than the T-Bone bullshit, life has been pretty good lately. I've got a great paying job with a good boss. I've got a great group of friends even though none of them really qualifies as human. If you ask me, they've shown me more humanity than most ordinary people. I got great kids and a wonderful man in my life. Yup, things are really looking up for yours truly.

"You want to help me set out some blankets and pillows for Uncle V?" I ask my favorite lupine.

"Sure Mom, let me put these comics back. I think I'll go through 'em later. I need to go through some of my stuff. I got some old books I don't read anymore. I think he'll like 'em," Andy said as he started stacking the comics in the container on top of the pictures and notebook.

"That's my guy," I say as I mess his hair up a bit and kiss his cheek. As I've said before, no matter how many men come and go into my life, Andy is the only one that matters. I have room in my heart for another but if it came down to just any man versus Andy, Andy will win out every time, which makes me grateful my boy and Remy get along so well.

"We're going to the house, keep an eye on Izzy for me," I told Auggie who is still bickering with Jareth about the placement of the television.

"Blankets and pillows will add a nice touch," this from Auggie.

"Make sure the colors match," Jareth countered, earning a glare.

"She's not Bed, Bath and Beyond you stupid goblin," Auggie sniped. "Whatever you have will be fine," she tells me with that razor sharp smile. Andy giggled a bit. The half breed and the goblin are a pretty amusing pair.

"Come on pup, we got a giant's house to decorate," I said to Andy as I slung my arm over his shoulder.

Andy and I were halfway down to V's place when hand grabbed me and I was tossed to the ground knocking the wind out of me. Andy began to growl. I managed to look in Andy's direction and noticed the glowing yellow rings around his irises. He fluidly shifted into his other self. I'd seen werewolves shift before but never like this. He made it look as easy as breathing. Fangs bared and fur standing up on end, Andy growled.

"Tell that boy to back off," I heard a rough voice growl. I looked over to see another set of glowing eyes. I fumble for the gun that's not there. How'd he get past Auggie's wards? She had this property fully protected so I wouldn't have to carry my gun around the house.

T-Bone wasn't a big man, maybe about an inch or so taller than me, but what he didn't have in height, he made up for in very muscular breadth . His eyes glowed and his canines extended, he hadn't fully changed like my boy who kept staring at him with his ears folded back. Andy wasn't going to back down no matter how much I tried to get through to him.

I wanted to scream but I knew I couldn't. T-Bone would have me ripped to shreds by the time Jareth and Auggie heard me. Andy still growled, baring his teeth. T-Bone with the temperament of a rabid dog stared him down. I crawled behind my guy who was still only a pup. T-Bone is a vicious bastard and his wolf form was as compact as his human self. I'd seen him take on wolves twice his size. One time I even saw him take on a panther. I'll be damned if I know where the pack got the panther from but he mauled that poor animal to bits. I was truly frightened at this point.

"Back down boy," T-Bone growled sotto voce at Andy. That was another thing about T-Bone, he wasn't a stupid man. He knew that if he was too loud, he would alert the other supes in the barn. I was sure T-Bone knew about Auggie. Andy held his ground like the true Alpha he is. There was no way Andy was going to let someone else finish his fight.

"Watch it, he probably has silver," I whispered. I knew he didn't but I wanted Andy to be cautious. If T-Bone had any silver on him, he would be smoking because of his partial change.

Then Andy did something that I'd prayed he wouldn't do, he charged at T-Bone. T-Bone guarded his face with his forearm. Andy crunched down hard on that arm rolling T-Bone to the ground. I gasped as an all-out fight began. T-Bone stayed in his partial wolf form which wasn't any prettier than his regular form. Andy snapped and dug his hind claws into him while T-Bone shoved dirt into his face. I knew it was over when T-Bone was able to slam my pup to the ground leaving him to whimper. I foolhardily ran right to Andy. That bastard better not have hurt him. I was fuming mad and cursing myself for forgetting my gun. I shouldn't have been so careless.

"I haven't hurt him much, yet" T-Bone said in a menacing tone when I saw Andy slowly losing fur. "Not like what that little son of a bitch did me."

T-Bone cradled his bleeding forearm. Andy even managed to scratch up that ugly tribal tattoo on his face. T-Bone ignored his bloody face and arm as he glared at me. I was kneeling next to my naked child who was curled up in the fetal position, unconscious.

"He'll heal. Hell he is already bruise free since you're so fucking worried about your little bastard," T-Bone growled out. "Now are you going to come with me you fucking whore or am I going to have to do the same to you?"

I wanted to scream. I wanted to let Auggie and Jareth know that Andy and I have been attacked but I also know what this sick sadist is capable of. Jesus Belinda, why did you have to be so stupid?


End file.
